


Off To The Races

by celestialveela



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Azkaban, Break Up, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Cruciatus Curse (Harry Potter), Dom Lucius Malfoy, Dom/sub, Edgeplay, Epilogue, Exhibitionism, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Kissing, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Multi, Multiple Orgasms, Multiple Partners, Non-Canon Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Not Cheating, Oral Sex, Out of Character, POV Third Person Limited, Polyamory, Rough Sex, Sad, Sad Ending, Sex, Sex (unprotected), Shower Sex, Slow Build, Slow Dancing, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Daddy Lucius Malfoy, Time Skips, controlling lucius malfoy, graves, time skip ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:06:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 71,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29357694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialveela/pseuds/celestialveela
Summary: When 24-year old Katherine Farrington became the sugar baby of Lucius Malfoy, she didn't expect to end up involved in a wizarding war, on the side she vowed to never join.𝕒𝕔𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕝𝕚𝕤𝕥:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3AkAcBuVplaB5R6uLPpNFq?si=zYCHV85dQPCMj1WgdkwIbg𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕕https://pin.it/3BdrXeI𝕎𝔸ℝℕ𝕀ℕ𝔾𝕊-sexual content-age gap-violence-angst𝕌𝕡𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Relationships: Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Lucius Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Narcissa Malfoy/Original Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	1. Money, Money, Money

**Author's Note:**

> Finally posting this fic on here since Wattpad is taking down mature fics. I'll slowly be publishing the rest of the chapters after I get through rewriting some parts to make them a bit better. 
> 
> Wattpa and TikTok: CelestialVeela

The idea had struck her while she was visiting her friend in Greece. She had been wandering on the sandy shores of the beautiful beach when she spotted a couple she found particularly odd. An older man, in his late 40s, had his arm wrapped around a young, stunning girl no more than 20. She was dressed head to toe in luxury brands, a pink margarita clasped in her perfectly manicured hands. Katherine Farrington was envious of the beautiful lifestyle the girl must’ve lived. She made a mental note to herself to throw herself upon the next old geezer she saw so she too could live in excess. 

And that time did come.

The redhead strutted down the hallway of her workplace, the headquarters for the wizarding beauty magazine The Celestial, a stack of magazines clutched in her hands. She had gained a measly-salaried internship there after she graduated Hogwarts, a proud Slytherin, one who made a vow to never turn to the dark side her house was known for. She had other dreams, ones that included her becoming a well-known designer of luxury dress robes and elegant evening gowns for the most high-profile witches and wizards.  
But alas, Katherine was stuck as a lowly intern, for now, hoping to eventually obtain enough money to scrape together a down payment for a studio. Although she adored her job, she loved who she worked for a little less. She pushed open the heavy door to the Editor’s office to find her boss sitting on a large velvet chair, a figure she had never seen before standing directly next to her.

Miranda Skeeter was the most nightmarish woman any witch or wizard could have the unfortunate pleasure of working for. As the sister of the Daily Prophet writer Rita Skeeter, she was definitely the most demanding and annoying of the two of them. Miranda demanded absolute perfection out of every intern she hired, and many didn't last more than a few weeks. Katherine had lasted 2 years, though the idea of quitting had most definitely crossed her mind more than once.

"Katherine, darling, you should've worn something else today. I have a guest, but I guess your eyes aren't working at the moment since you barged in here so rudely." Miranda mumbled without looking up, scribbling something on a notepad in front of her. Katherine glanced down at her black pencil skirt and emerald blazer. She didn't think it was that bad of an outfit. A little sexy, maybe, but nothing unprofessional or scandalous. At the mention of the guest, however, she looked up to see a tall man standing in front of her.  
His hair was long and a platinum blonde color tied back with a black satin bow that fell gracefully on his back. He looked about 40 years old, though he had aged gracefully and was still immensely attractive in her eyes. In his large, veiny hands he held a cane that had the head of a serpent with glistening emerald eyes as the handle. He wore a black suit with shiny golden buttons that had snakes embossed on them and tall black leather boots on his feet. The man stared at her, his silver-blue eyes piercing through her skin. Katherine offered a weak smile in return, and he half-grinned back at her before turning to Miranda. "Ah, Miss Skeeter, you haven't introduced me to her."

Miranda didn't look up from her papers as she did a shooing motion towards the other woman. This was a daily occurrence, Miranda being dismissive and unappreciative of her. "That's Katherine Farrington, my intern, she's just here to drop off this week's magazine proofs, and then she'll be making her way out. No need to worry about her." She mumbled as Katherine handed her the stack of magazines quietly, but the man smiled and did a polite half-bow towards Katherine. "Lucius Malfoy, pleased to make your acquaintance."  
Shuffling her feet, the girl returned the smile softly. He was intriguing, captivating, seemingly drawing her in with just one spoken sentence. "I best be on my way then, Miss Skeeter. You have a lot of editing to do. It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Malfoy." She said before turning towards the door. A hand suddenly placed itself on her shoulder, her head spinning around to see Lucius staring at her. "Actually, if you would, stay for a second. Miss Skeeter, do you remember what I was just discussing with you? About how I am in need of a young, pretty girl to accompany me to a few important matters?"

Miranda looked up for the first time since Katherine had entered, a shocked and sour expression on her face. "What, not her? That must be a joke. Mr. Malfoy, you don't want her, she's not like us. Her place will forever be at the bottom of the feeding pool. I can assure you that I have tons of other beautiful witches who would be much better escorts. I'm talking models, singers, artists-not some lowly intern." It took all of Katherine's willpower to not stand up for herself. She was a big believer in picking her battles, and she did not want to argue with her boss in front of Lucius. Deep down she knew one day she would be like them. She was like them once, but all of that changed in her youth when she had lost everything, though she would never let Miranda, or anyone else for that matter, know. 

"With all due respect, Miss Skeeter, I do think Miss Farrington is perfect for what I need her for. Just let me ask her." Lucius smirked as he walked towards the girl in front of him. Even his walk sent shivers and sparks to flow through Katherine’s body. "Miss Farrington, is there something you're working towards? Something you may need financial assistance with?" She nodded politely in return. "Yes, sir. It's my dream to become a designer. I just need help putting a down payment on a studio, that's all, and enough to buy a sewing machine and some fabric. I really want to make gowns and dress robes for all of the most important wizarding families. That's why I'm here at The Celestial. So I can get my name hopefully out there." Lucius nodded. "And your last name, Farrington, sounds...familiar. Did your parents attend Hogwarts?" he asked. 

"Yes, they did Mr. Malfoy. My father was Arlo Farrington and my mother was Blythe Winslow. My whole family was sorted into Slytherin too, besides my sister Elowen. She's in her fourth year, I think, and she's the only one Gryffindor. I graduated about 6 years ago." Katherine stated, rubbing the back of her neck. What was with all of the questions about her family? Did her past really matter that much? Of course, she had heard of the Malfoy family and their pureblood ideals, so she wasn’t completely shocked.

Lucius inhaled sharply and his eyes looked empty for a second. "Ah, yes. I remember your parents. It was so...terrible when they died. During the last bits of the Wizarding War, correct?"

"Yes. Elowen was just a baby-can I ask why you're asking me all these questions? I’m not sure why my family-”

"Katherine, do not be rude! Mr. Malfoy, please explain to her before she says anything else that might make you change your mind." Miranda mumbled. Katherine could tell she was getting more annoyed by the second by Lucius’s growing interest in her little lowly intern, and she was loving it. 

"Ah yes. You see, Miss Farrington, I need someone to accompany me to a few important events coming up. My wife does not like to concern herself with meetings and such, but I’m afraid going unaccompanied would not be a good look for me. I just need a lovely young lady like you to keep me company. I can offer you room and board in my manor and some money in return for your time. And you would have to take a leave of absence from The Celestial if you are willing to do that. Narcissa is more than willing to share me so don't worry about having to sneak around." He winked. She knew that it had to be much more than just company, but obviously she was not going to ask such questions while her  
boss was sitting next to her. 

Katherine's head shot up as she glanced between Lucius and Miranda. This was it. Her ticket out. Her way to fame and fortune and to get the fuck away from Miranda Skeeter and all her demands. To finally get her way to the top. 

"Absolutely, Mr. Malfoy. I would love to. Miranda, I quit."


	2. Guys My Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katherine arrives at the grand Malfoy Manor.

That was Katherine Farrington's last working day at The Celestial. Lucius had escorted her out of Miranda’s office and the building itself, the girl carrying only her enchanted purse, her wand, and a few dresses Lucius had bought for her right off of the designer racks. It was a dream come true. Lucius was powerful, influential, and wealthy and could help her achieve what she so desperately wanted. She was just happy to no longer be working for her imposing boss, finally free of the stresses of a 9-to-5.   
The two apparated to Malfoy Manor together, Katherine holding on to Lucius's hand tightly so as to not get lost on the way. Her first sight was the huge, baroque front doors in front of her, in awe of the gorgeous mansion. It was a modern castle with lavish towers and beautiful green gardens. She had never seen a house as beautiful or as big as the manor, and she teemed with excitement as she and Lucius walked towards the doors. A man dressed in brown robes opened them and nodded politely at Lucius as he entered. He was about 70, with happy wrinkles around his mouth and eyes.

"Abernathy, this is Miss Katherine Farrington. She will be staying here for a few months. Show her nothing but kindness, you hear me? She is an important guest." Lucius murmured, not bothering to look the man in the eyes. The man nodded back, keeping his eyes on the floor before smiling silently at Katherine, who gave a meek smile back before Lucius pulled her away. "Katherine, that is our squib butler Abernathy. He is not allowed to speak unless spoken to or asked a question so do not be shocked at his silence. I can assure you he is listening." Lucius said as Katherine followed him into the large living room.

The space showed even more of the grandeur of the home. A crackling fireplace illuminated the dim area, showing a glistening chandelier attached to the high ceilings. Little decor was present except for a plethora of oil paintings fastened to the walls. At the back of the room sat a huge marble staircase with gold decorative railings. On the large, luxe sofa in the center of the room sat a gorgeous woman, her two-toned hair pulled back into an elegant half updo. She sat alongside a young boy about 14, with short hair as platinum as his father's. They both stood up quickly, walking over to Lucius and his guest with refinement and grace.   
"Ah, you must be Miss Farrington. Such a pleasure to meet you, darling., Lucius sent a quick owl saying that you will be staying with us. I'm his wife, Narcissa, and this is our son Draco." She said warmly. Katherine couldn’t help but admire her beauty, the way her pink rosy lips formed almost a heart-like shape, and her glistening eyes showed youth and perfection. 

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy," Katherine said before turning her attention to Draco. His nostrils seemed to be flared in disgust at her mere presence. "Hello, Draco." Draco looked up unamused, not bothering to talk to Katherine as he walked away towards the staircase, Narcissa looking uncomfortable at her son’s behavior, not commenting on it."Please, dear, call me Narcissa. Have a seat, I will have Abernathy bring us out some warm tea." She said as she sat back down on the sofa. Katherine obliged and took a seat on an empty chair next to her as Lucius sat himself down on the black armchair next to the sofa.

"So, Katherine, what made you decide to accept my husband's offer?" Narcissa asked, trying to make polite conversation to warm up the uncomfortable air around them.  
"I really need money to purchase a studio so I can start up my clothing business. I want to design luxury dress robes and gowns, fashion is such a passion of mine so I took the job at The Celestial to get my name out there. It didn't really work though." Katherine responded. 

"That is quite amazing, dear. It was so lovely chatting with you but I am afraid I must head upstairs to check on my son. But you and Lucius are welcome to stay downstairs and chat." The tall woman said, standing up to head up the staircase like Draco had moments before, leaving Katherine and Lucius alone.

Katherine shifted in her seat as she sat across from Lucius. She didn't want to make it known that she was happy to be alone with him, but the man in front of her had a cold look on his face as he seemed to examine Katherine with his piercing grey eyes. The pair sat in silence as Abernathy returned bringing out the tea, setting it on the coffee table. Katherine watched as he poured the herbal drink into two gorgeous baroque-style teacups, passing them off one by one. She muttered a small 'thank you' before glancing up at Lucius again, her eyes begging for the silence to be broken.

Lucius coughed before taking a sip of his own tea. "So, Miss Farrington, do you have a boyfriend?"

Taken aback by the question, she shifted in her chair again before shaking her head. "No, sir. I don't. I had one when I first started my job but we didn't work out. He kicked me out which is why I was never able to save money for my studio. I moved to London to be near my job but of course, rent is high." She explained, playing with her necklace. Lucius's eyes followed the movement of her hand he inhaled sharply.

"I am deeply sorry to hear that. What was the...ah...issue?" He asked, intrigued. There were a lot of issues with her ex-lover, most were frivolous, like the fact he ate with his mouth open and left his clothes everywhere in the flat. She had basically dated a man-child. 

"He didn't seem to have any goals or aspirations, Mr. Malfoy. We just weren't on the same page with life. Even though we were at the same stage of life he was just...so immature. I don't really like guys my age, they just don't know how to treat me I guess." She laughed looking down at her feet to avoid his stare. When she looked up again, Lucius had left his chair and was now standing over her, offering her his ring-clad hand. One was a silver band, another a gaudy emerald on his middle finger. She took his hand reluctantly and stood up as he immediately grabbed the back of her waist, still keeping a small bit of distance between them. 

"He never touched you like this, did he?"

She shivered as her breath hitched, slowly shaking her head. "No, sir, he didn't."  
This man could not be anything less than ethereal, the most gorgeous person she had ever seen. She couldn't help but think about how wonderful it would be if he just kissed her right there, took her right on the sofa, but she quickly shooed the thought away disgusted at herself. He was married, even if Narcissa did approve and seemed to not care about whatever their relationship was. Still, it was just fantasizing, right? Imagining couldn’t hurt. 

Lucius laughed and slowly backed away still holding her hand. "Let me show you to your room. Tomorrow you will accompany me to the Quidditch World Cup. Abernathy will bring your outfit up tomorrow morning." He said leading her up the stairs, still clutching her hand. Katherine's heart leaped at the mention of the game. She loved Quidditch and was a cheerleader for Slytherin during her time at Hogwarts. Never in her life did she think she'd attend the famous tournament. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Malfoy!" she said excitedly as followed him up the winding stairs. When they reached the top of the ornate staircase, he paused to look back at her and gave a soft smile before guiding her to the guest bedroom, opening the wooden door and placing his hand on the small of her back again as she peered inside.

The room was as beautiful as the rest of the house, with a king-size bed in the center of it. The walls were painted a dark emerald, with silver frames embellishing portraits mounted to the wall. Decorative pillows sat on top of a matching emerald comforter, with a tulle canopy surrounding the bed. Against the one wall sat a baroque style vanity, with a full mirror and a variety of personal items like makeup and a hairbrush on top of it. The room also had an attached bathroom, containing a shower with glass doors and a large clawed bathtub with multiple spouts and places to set glasses. Katherine gasped as soon as she began exploring. The grandeur of the room, and the whole mansion, was astonishing. When Katherine turned around, Lucius was standing at the doorway. She grinned excitedly and ran up to him. "This is lovely, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you again."  
Lucius just offered a half-smile and nodded. "You are welcome, Miss Farrington. Since we have to depart early tomorrow breakfast is at 5 am sharp. I do hope you shall be on time." He said before placing a small kiss on her cheek, closing the door behind him.

Katherine blinked as she sighed blissfully, walking over to the wardrobe. She opened it up to find various gowns in black, silver, and emerald, as well as a few lingerie pieces and some silk pajamas. She picked up the black silk tank and shorts set, heading into the bathroom, undressing quickly before turning on the shower before stepping inside to let the warm water drip down her body.

As she stood there, her mind couldn't help but wander. She imagined Lucius behind her, running his hands over her body, kissing up and down her neck as she bit her lip. If only he had stayed. Her fantasy quickly ended as she heard a knock on the bathroom door. Turning off the shower, she wrapped her towel around her as she opened the door.

Please be Lucius.

It wasn't, much to her dismay. It was Abernathy. He looked at her, waiting for her to speak. "Yes, what is it?" she asked.  
"Mr. Malfoy told me to drop off your dress miss. And he has a gift for you too." He said pointing to the bed.  
"One second, please," Katherine said, throwing on the silk robe in the bathroom before walking over towards her bed. On top sat a low-cut black dress and a large black headpiece, and there was also a small box wrapped with a black bow. Katherine opened it to see a gorgeous diamond choker and matching earrings, a note on the inside reading 'Your first gift from me. -L.M' in cursive handwriting. "Tell him I said thank you." She said, turning around. But the butler had left.  
Katherine got dressed into the silk pajamas before getting under the covers. Her head hit the pillow, and she immediately drifted into a blissful sleep


	3. Off To The Races

Katherine awoke around 4:30 the next morning, sitting up and stretching for a few moments trying to wake herself up. She slept well and was grateful she did considering the ungodly time she had to be up. Her feet slid to the edge of the bed before she was hopping off and headed towards the bathroom. Slipping her robe on, she washed her face and brushed her teeth before brushing her hair out, using magic to curl it before putting it in an elaborate updo before walking out the bathroom to get changed. She was fussy about her appearance, especially since she was going to be spending the day with Lucius. On her bed was the dress and jewelry Abernathy had dropped off the night prior. She slid her robe off, letting it pool on the ground beneath her, the cold air of the room making her naked body shiver. She picked up the gorgeous dress in front of her, undoing the lace-up back before stepping into it, pulling the sleeves over her arms before reaching to do the corset on the back. She bit her lip, contorting her body before sighing, giving up on lacing it up herself. Holding the back of the dress closed with one hand, she walked over to the door and opened it slightly. 

"Abernathy? Mrs. Malfoy? Can someone help me lace up my dress?" She yelled, glancing down the hallway. No one was coming from that direction. She sighed and leaned back to close the door before a hand stopped it from closing. "I'll help."

Katherine flipped her head around to see Lucius standing at the door beside her. She gasped as her hand flew to her chest. "Mr. Malfoy! You startled me." She mumbled, stepping aside to let Lucius into her room. He closed the door behind him as she turned around to allow him access to the back of the dress. He took the laces in his hands, slowly tugging on them before stopping suddenly. The dress still felt slightly loose around her torso. "Bend over on the vanity, it is not tied tight enough." He whispered, gently placing his hand on the nape of her neck to have her lean over slightly, her hands placed on the vanity to support herself as Lucius continued to tug on the delicate strings. His feet were on either side of hers as he was pressed against her. After a few moments, he finished, tying the remaining strings into a bow before moving his hand to wrap gently around Katherine's neck, pulling her up to him. Katherine's eyes met the mirror and her breath hitched as she stared at the reflection. Lucius stood tall behind her, his hand resting ever so slightly on her neck, his rings glistening in the dim light of the room. 

God, she was turned on. 

Lucius met her eyes in the mirror before he turned his head, his hand dropping from her neck as he shifted to grab the diamond choker from the vanity. "Here, let me put my gift on you." He said, slightly breathless as he undid the clasp. His hand went to her shoulder, giving it a small rub before placing the cold metal against her neck. After he did the clasp up, he pressed a small kiss to the nape of her neck before stepping away. "Ravishing." He almost mumbled to himself.

Still, in her dazed stupor, Katherine turned to face him and gazed into his eyes dreamily. Her mind wandered for a second, wondering what it would be like for him to kiss her right there like she so desperately wanted. Her eyes met his lips, focusing on them for a second before meeting his eyes again. Lucius leaned down, his face so so so fucking close to hers. Katherine's heart leaped before her eyes started to flutter closed before Lucius laughed. "Finish getting ready and meet me and Draco downstairs. We have to head to the World Cup soon and we're taking a Portkey to the campsite since Draco can't apparate yet." He smirked before pulling away abruptly, leaving Katherine to stand there foolishly. She nodded as Lucius left, shutting the door quietly behind him. 

Katherine walked downstairs after a few moments, floating like she was in another world. One day and this man, who, again, she knew for one day, had completely infatuated her. She wished she and Lucius discussed the matters of her stay more. Was it "professional" or would he finally give in and just fuck her. As she turned the corner of the staircase, Draco stepped in front of her. "Good morning, Draco." Katherine smiled, stepping to pass him. He blocked her, staring directly into her eyes. What a petty, brat-like child he was. "I don't know what you're playing at but I know what you're here for. You're going to take all of my money, aren't you? Use the generosity of my father to your advantage, huh? I won't have it. I'll find a way to get rid of you." He hissed at her. Taken aback, Katherine glared at the teenage boy in front of her.

"Draco, you will not talk to an adult like that. I know your father taught you better. I'm here for the reason your father asked to be here and I'll be receiving what he offered me. Now if you excuse me we have a Quidditch match to attend." She said pushing herself around him. Lucius was sitting at the long kitchen table, Abernathy clearing the plates and breakfast dishes off of it. He smiled as Katherine stepped into the dining room, standing beside his chair. "Ah, you're ready. Now, Draco, let's move along. We can't afford to be late."

A few hours later, Katherine and the Malfoys arrived at a lavish tent on the outskirts of the campsite. It was made of emerald satin, with two marble snake statues guarding the front. While it was of reasonable size on the outside, the inside was even more incredible. It looked more like a luxury hotel than a feeble tent, with two separate bedrooms, a hot tub, and a dining room table. Katherine was in awe. Her family had been wealthy, yes, but not this rich.

Lucius followed her and Draco into the tent, Abernathy following with the luggage. "Draco, that room to the left is yours. Miss Farrington, if you don't mind taking the right bedroom. I'm afraid we do have to share a bed unless you want to sleep on the floor with Abernathy. The bed is big enough for the two of us to sleep comfortably though. " He winked.

Katherine nodded, glancing towards the bedroom. The bed was huge and there was definitely room for them to sleep apart. Abernathy moved to set their things down. Lucius stood behind Katherine, pressing a hand on her shoulder which sent chills up her back. "This place is gorgeous, Mr. Malfoy." She said softly. Lucius just stared at the back of her neck, breathing softly before moving his other hand to trace up and down her spine. "Not as gorgeous as you look tonight, darling." He whispered.

She stiffened and turned around to face him. "Mr. Malfoy, with all due respect, what is the nature of our relationship allowed to be?" She inquired. Lucius just glanced at her before chuckling. "My dear, that is all up to you. We can be strictly professional if my advances made you uncomfortable, and of course, in front of the rest of the family, we do need to keep a level of...correctness. But when the sun goes to rest and we're all alone...nothing is off the table."

Katherine bit her lip just as Draco came out of his room, dressed in his suit. "Come on then, the match is going to start soon." He said as he rolled his eyes. Lucius nodded, stepping away from Katherine. "Let's get on then, we have seats in the minister's box." He said, beckoning for Katherine and Draco to follow. Katherine exited the tent, not holding the door for Draco on her way out.


	4. Old Money

Katherine followed Lucius to the stadium, trailing behind him almost like she was a little lost puppy. They floated down the metal stairs towards the Minister's box where Lucius had gotten the three of them VIP tickets. On her way down, she heard Draco stop and taunt someone. To her surprise, she saw Harry Potter with a group of lanky ginger-haired boys and a ginger man, and three girls with the group as well. While she didn't recognize all of them (though she assumed the redheads were Weasleys), she did spot a familiar face belonging to her younger sister, Elowen.

Katherine waved, jumping up to get her attention. She hadn’t seen her sister in years as she was 10 years older and had a life of her own. "Ellie! It's me, your big sister!" She yelled excitedly. Elowen glanced down, tilting her head in confusion.  
"Kat? What are you doing with the Malfoys?" She asked, her high voice teeming with disgust as Harry and the other ginger boy leaned over the railing and glanced back and forth at each other.   
"Elowen, your sister isn't a supporter of You-Know-Who, right?" the redhead boy asked. Elowen smacked the back of his head.   
"No, Ron. I don't know why she's with Lucius and Draco Malfoy."

Katherine stepped slightly forward, gently tapping Lucius on the arm. "Ellie, this is Mr. Malfoy, Draco's father. He's letting me stay with him for the time being. All I have to do is go with him to events and keep him company." She said and smiled. Lucius looked unamused and just stood there with a blank expression on his face, a stark contrast to her attempted grin. Ron leaned over to whisper into Harry's ear.   
"Yeah, she's sleeping with him-OW" Elowen smacked the back of his head again.  
"Don't be gross, Ron. He's so old." She giggled, Draco making fake vomiting noises back at her.

"Where are your seats?" Katherine asked her sister, desperate to get away from the previously discussed topic. Elowen pointed her finger up at the sky.   
"Nosebleeds." she said, sighing before adding "I'm just grateful to be here. It was so nice of Ginny to invite me to go." Draco snorted mockingly.  
"I knew it. That's all the Weasley's can afford. Anyways, Ellie, your sister is going to be in the Minister's Private Box. Isn't she so much better than you?" Lucius whipped his head around angrily, tapping his cane around angrily.  
"Do not boast, Draco. Now if you will excuse us, we have a box to find." He said and grabbed Draco's hand, pulling him along. Katherine looked up at her sister, who now had an almost sad expression on her face from faking civility. A pang of guilt flooded Katherine’s already anxious stomach.

"Elowen-"

"Don't Katherine. I didn't think you'd stoop to this. I didn't think your stupid studio was worth sacrificing your morals and dignity. Sleeping with that old rat to get ahead. I thought you were supposed to be ambitious. I thought you wanted to be like mom and dad, good-hearted. They loved us so much, they sacrificed themselves to keep us alive. Are you forgetting that they were murdered by Death Eaters? Death Eaters like Lucius Malfoy? Of course, we don't know who killed our parents but it very well could've been him." Elowen snapped. Katherine took a step back, her hands shaking in front of her.   
"Elowen I’m afraid I have to go. Maybe I'll see you after the match." She responded sadly, running to follow Lucius as Elowen took Ron's hand and followed the group back up the steps towards the top of the stadium. Katherine caught up with Lucius just as he was entering the Minister's box. He turned around and took her hand, guiding her to her seat next to him. Draco opted to sit in front of them wanting a closer view of the game. "I do apologize, Mr. Malfoy. I obviously didn't expect to see my sister." She said softly. Lucius nodded.   
"Of course. Everything is well, Miss Farrington."

As the game started, Katherine watched intently. She hadn’t watched a game of Quidditch in so long, and every so often she would pester Draco with questions (much to his annoyance). It wasn't until mid-match that she became distracted by Lucius's rough hand resting on her thigh. Her breath hitched as his hand slowly made its way up and down her soft skin, making a gentle rubbing motion. She turned to look up at Lucius, and to her surprise, he had a stern face and was watching the game. A master of having a poker face. Katherine bit her upper lip as turned her attention back to the pitch, clapping as she saw Ireland score. She didn't even like Ireland but that's who the Malfoy's were rooting for so she cheered for them.

Lucius's hand stayed on Katherine's thigh for the entire rest of the game. Ireland won of course, and the fans were cheering triumphantly. Roars of victorious spectators filled the stadium as the people trickled out of the arena. The trio made their way back to the tent, not bothering to party as they knew they had an even earlier morning than the day before. Katherine yawned as she got dressed for the night in her room before sitting down on the edge of the bed, reflecting on her conversation with Elowen. Yes, her family was killed by Death Eaters during the first war. But they never caught who did it...but Lucius wouldn't have bothered with them right? They weren't a high-level family like the Potters. The Farringtons were hated because they went against Slytherin's ideals. They refused to be evil and join Voldemort, and that's why they died.

She was shocked out of her thought as Lucius entered the room, setting his robes on his trunk for Abernathy to pack later. Katherine stood up to let him lay on the bed first, standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed. Lucius laid down on the far side of the bed, patting the spot next to him as he propped himself up with the lavish pillows.  
"Come, pet. Lay with me." He smirked. Katherine obliged, crawling towards him and propped herself up next to him, sitting with her legs under her so her lap was open. Lucius immediately laid his head down on her thighs sighing. He looked like he was deep in thought, thinking about something that would take place later. Katherine moved her hand to his head, gently playing with his hair almost as if she was comforting him. It almost didn't seem like the Lucius she knew.

"You know how hard it is being me, Miss Farrington? I am the head of one of the best wizarding families in the world. I'm rich, I have a well-paying job, I'm respected, I have a lovely family that I adore greatly. But I was missing something. You see, being so busy I could never have a moment to just..relax. Have someone dote on me. Feel young again. That's why you're truly here. Because I just need someone to sit down and listen to me wallow about my problems. I do hope, pet, that you help me take care of my every need." He lamented.  
Katherine nodded, her hand still playing with the tangles of his long platinum hair. "Of course, Mr. Malfoy. I'm only here to help."  
Lucius hummed in agreement, finally making eye contact with her.   
"You did let it spill to your sister today that you and I are in this little...agreement. I do ask you to keep this between us. From now on I'll refer to you as an assistant of mine. I don't want rumors getting spread about."  
Katherine nodded again. "Yes, sir."

His head shot up from her lap as he sat up, facing her on the bed. Katherine swallowed, staring him in the eyes. Just kiss me already. She thought to herself. This was taking too long for her liking. He did say to her that behind closed doors anything and everything was possible. Why wasn't he at least attempting to fuck her into the next morning?  
Lucius just grinned, laying down on the bed pulling the covers over himself. "Goodnight, Miss Farrington. You need your rest." Katherine sighed and laid down as well, staring up at the ceiling. "Goodnight, Mr. Malfoy."  
Lucius turned to face her back, gently moving the hair away from her ear. "Oh, just so you're aware of something...I am a legimens. I do know about all those...naughty thoughts you have." He muttered in her ear.  
Her heart stopped right then and there.  
-  
"Psst. Katherine. Katherine. KATHERINE!"

The sleeping woman shot out of bed, gasping as she saw Draco shaking her awake roughly. She turned to see that Lucius wasn't there next to her like he was before she fell asleep. Where was he? And why was this little rat waking her up? "Draco, it's the middle of the night." She hissed, tossing a pillow at him. Draco just laughed.   
"Get out of bed. You need to see something." Katherine got up begrudgingly, throwing on her overcoat as she followed Draco outside the tent. She hoped that he was at least showing her something interesting as she was greeted with flickering orange flames. Everything was on fire. People were screaming, running, families were searching for lost members. Draco was just watching with amusement, running out of the tent to join the chaos.

She just stood there and screamed.


	5. Paint It Black

Everything was a fiery orange. As Katherine stepped out of the tent, all she could see in her immediate view were people screaming, running, panicking as the campsite was engulfed in flames. She ran out of the tent, pushing Draco aside. "Draco, where's your father?" she asked, grabbing onto his arm. Draco pulled his arm away with a disgusted expression on his face. "I bet he's one of them," he smirked, laughing a little as he pointed to a group of people in pointed black hats and masks marching, casting offensive spells at the frightened campers. Katherine's eyes widened as she bolted away from the blonde, the only thing on her mind being finding Elowen and getting the hell out of there.

"ELLIE! ELLIE!" She screamed, pushing people aside as she ran through the crowd. Soon she was out of breath, stopping by a demolished tent to let herself rest for a moment before taking off again. As she looked up, she spotted Elowen wandering alone between the flames, her arm bleeding. Katherine quickly ran up to her, grabbing on to her sister tightly. Elowen turned around, gasping before realizing it was Katherine as she let out a sigh of relief. 

"Elowen we have to go."

The two start to run towards nothing, getting lost in the chaos and blazing fury surrounding them. After what seemed like hours of running, they finally stopped at the edge of a forest to rest. Katherine turned to her sister, grabbing her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry Ellie. I'm going to get you home. I fucked up, I fucked up bad. Don't worry I'm going to leave and-"  
"I don't think you want to do that, Miss Farrington."  
Katherine whipped her head around to see Lucius striding towards her. His face was dirty with soot, his long blond hair unusually messy. Her eyes widened as she stepped in front of Elowen protectively. After what Draco said, there was no way she was going to trust him so soon, not when there were terrorists wreaking havoc on the campsite.

"Mr. Malfoy, where did you go? Draco and I woke up and you were gone. Where were you?" she yelled.  
Lucius stopped, holding his arms out defensively. "Now do not go insinuating that I was amongst this disgusting chaos. I had simply left to do some Ministry business, that's all. I certainly didn't want to wake you and Draco, you looked so peaceful while you slept." He answered, smirking slightly. Katherine’s eyes darted between Elowen then at Lucius, her hand finding its way to the wand in her pocket.

"There you are, Elowen!" yelled a voice, the owner being Ginny Weasley running towards them. Lucius inhaled, lowering his arms with a slight smile on his face.  
"Ellie, go to Ginny. I'll handle this." Katherine whispered in her ear. Elowen ran towards Ginny, quickly running off with her after giving her sister one last look, leaving Lucius and Katherine alone.

Suddenly the sky flashed a vile green, a cloud-shaped formation appearing in the sky taking the form of a huge snake that slithered out of a skull's mouth. Katherine heard more desperate screams. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, Lucius's breath hot on her bare neck. "Surely you do not think I am a part of this. Draco was just making up silly stories, you know how young teens are. Let's go, darling." He purred, his other hand snaking around her waist, moving her hand off her wand. Katherine sighed, nodding as Lucius loosened his grip on her, whispering "good girl" in her ear causing a shiver to travel up and down her spine. He pulled away, gently running his fingers through her tangled hair. "What a shame, your hair is all dirty. How about when we get back to the manor you take a nice bath, hmm? Get yourself cleaned up. You've had such a stressful night."

-

That night Katherine sat on the floor of the shower, hot water pouring over her as she held her knees to her chest, the day's events flooding her mind. She didn't believe Lucius, no, and ignorance truly was bliss. She stared at her reflection in the metal faucet, biting her lip as she saw a harsh shadow move behind her. Suddenly she was being pulled up off the floor and flipped around, her back pressed against the glass shower door. Lucius stood before her, water dripping down his bare chest. Not speaking, he snaked his arm around her waist, his other hand gripping her chin as he leaned in. He was muscular, and Katherine couldn't help but whimper as his hand on her chin kept from looking anywhere else. "Mr. Malfoy-" Katherine whispered before he crashed his lips onto hers. Not hesitating for a second, she kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her.

Katherine was in bliss, leaning against the glass of the shower. Lucius pulled away for a second to gently bite on her ear before mumbling "Jump." She did as she was told, wrapping her legs around his waist as he pressed her harder against the glass. He began trailing his lips down her neck, one of his hands creeping down to rest on her stomach teasingly. Katherine moaned softly before she was suddenly flipped over, her hands pressing against the glass. She felt Lucius remove his hands from her before he chuckled.

"Stop teasing me-" she mumbled, allowing herself to look behind her.

Lucius Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.

Katherine stepped out of the shower, shaking her head before staring at herself in the mirror. She grabbed a brush and started to comb through her wet hair, mumbling to herself as she did. "He was there. He was in the shower. He was going to fuck me in the shower. I did not imagine it." She affirmed to herself. Her brush dropped her friend and she cursed to herself as it fell on the floor. Bending over, she noticed wet footprints on the bathroom tile. So he was here. 

As she stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed something on her bed. It was a small coin purse filled with money, mostly gold galleons. Inside the purse was a note, and next to the purse was a lacy black bodysuit, a pair of heeled boots, and a tight pencil skirt. Katherine quickly opened the note, reading the cursive handwriting on the inside of the parchment. "I have to be somewhere early tomorrow morning. I'm sending you and Narcissa on a ladies' day tomorrow. Wear this and be wearing this when I get back-unless you find something else to wear for my thank you. -L.M."

Katherine set the note on her vanity and smiled to herself, completely forgetting what had happened earlier.


	6. Material Girl

Katherine awoke the next morning to the sound of a gentle knock at her bedroom door. She rubbed her eyes before slowly stepping out of bed, pulling on a robe before gently pulling on the knob. Narcissa stood at her door smiling, dressed in a black dress, her makeup already done. She looked stunning, as always. "Katherine, can I come in?" She asked. Katherine returned the woman’s smile, nodding as she opened the door to let her inside the brightly lit bedroom.  
"Good morning, Mrs. Malfoy. You seem excited." the girl laughed, plopping down on the bed. She patted the seat next to her, wanting Narcissa to sit down next to her.

Narcissa obliged and sat next to Katherine, crossing her legs politely. "So, Katherine, are you ready for our little girls' day today? There are a few shops in Diagon Alley I think you'll love, they're in the luxury shops section. And then we can get our hair done, and maybe a facial? I think there's a spa-" Katherine laughed, nodding to all of Narcissa's suggestions. Despite the woman coming across as cold, she definitely had a warm aura when she was allowed. "That sounds lovely, Mrs. Malfoy. I'm so glad we'll get to spend time together today. I feel like both of us are definitely going to get along." Narcissa pressed a gentle kiss on Katherine's cheek. It was warmer than Lucius's kisses, and it made Katherine giggle. 

Maybe she should fawn over Mrs. Malfoy instead

-

Narcissa and Katherine strutted down the stone paths of Diagon Alley, hand-in-hand. Katherine noticed that once Narcissa was out of the house, she was less stiff and frigid and more fun to be around. She guessed that getting away from Malfoy Manor once and a while would do the both of them a world of good. After only a few hours, the two of them had already blown through a fair chunk of the money Lucius had left for them, Narcissa buying a gorgeous diamond hair clip that cost a small fortune and Katherine purchasing a handbag made from vegan thestreal leather. Narcissa was leading her towards the salon, a high-end one Katherine had never visited before. She didn’t even know Diagon Alley had a section of luxury boutiques and spas. 

"Mrs. Malfoy, are Lucius and Draco natural blondes?" She asked jokingly, following her into the little salon. Narcissa laughed, gently patting Katherine on the shoulder. "Yes of course dear. We all are, you know. You also have a gorgeous hair color too, such a vibrant red." She admired, gently playing with Katherine's hair making her cheeks turn the color of a rosy pygmy puff. As the two approached the salon, a man wearing a black sweater holding a stack of magazines rushed out of the door, knocking into Katherine. She fell to the ground, rolling her eyes as she stared up at the man.

"Victor!"

The man smiled, offering her a hand. His head was topped with flowing brown curls, his amber eyes meeting her green ones. He was handsome, with a chiseled jawline and sharp features. Katherine immediately enveloped him in a hug, squeezing him tightly. "Mrs. Malfoy, this is Victor. We went to school together and he's the main photographer for The Celestial. We worked together for years." She said excitedly.   
Narcissa smiled coldly. "Nice to meet you, Mr-"  
"Redferne. Victor Redferne." The man said offering Narcissa his hand.  
Narcissa shook his hand gently, offering another weak smile.

"So Katherine, I heard you quit. I miss my favorite assistant." Victor said, pressing a kiss to Katherine's hand. She blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear.   
"I got offered something better. Let's go out for lunch sometime, Victor, your owl will know where to find me." She teased. Victor just grinned, a charming sweet smile,   
"I'll take you up on that offer," Katherine said goodbye quickly, not wanting to hold Narcissa up another moment. But she could've sworn someone was watching her.

The two headed into the brightly lit salon, Narcissa greeting the receptionist warmly. Two witches in styling robes came up to greet them. One had bright purple locks that flowed down into a detailed braid, the other had her flame-colored hair styled in a high ponytail. "Ah, Narcissa! So nice to see you!" the purple-haired one said. Narcissa turned to Katherine.   
"This is Lila, my stylist”-her finger pointed to the red-haired one- “And the other one is Dawn, she's going to do your hair today." She said grinning. Katherine followed Dawn to the chair, sitting down as the stylist immediately started playing with her hair.   
"So, dear, what are we doing with this today?" She chirped. Katherine stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had never done anything to her hair before, besides the time Elowen accidentally turned her hair green. Maybe it was time for a change, now that she was assimilating herself into the Malfoy family. But she didn't want blonde, that would just make her and Lucius look related.

"I think I'm going to dye it black."

-

"Are you ready to show me yet, dear?" Narcissa hummed, waiting for Katherine to come out from behind a polka-dot patterned curtain. Dawn and Lila stood at each side, Katherine behind it. Her long hair was now a deep, silky black color. It completely changed her. And she loved it, she thought she looked so pretty with dark tresses that made her emerald eyes pop. The stylists dropped the curtain, Narcissa gasping at the reveal. "My darling, what did you do? It looks amazing, don't get me wrong, but it's so different." She sounded almost disappointed. Katherine stepped off of the platform, taking Narcissa's hands in hers.   
"Mrs. Malfoy, you look beautiful. I thought I would do something new, something fun. Do you think Lucius will like it?" She asked.

Narcissa laughed, kissing Katherine on the cheek again. "I'm sure he'll love it. You look gorgeous, dear." She said. The two paid and headed out the door, Narcissa holding on to her hand tightly as the two passed the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Katherine shuddered, staring down the dark alleyway. She had never ventured down there, the ominous atmosphere of the infamous alley scaring her. A sign that read 'Borgin and Burkes' blew in the cold wind, sending a shiver down her spine. Suddenly, the shop door opened, a tall figure with long blonde hair walking out, his cane rapping the cobblestone ground below him. Narcissa noticed and pulled Katherine out of the view of the alley. "Come on, dear. Let's go into this shop." She murmured, pulling Katherine into a random store.

"Mrs. Malfoy was that-" Narcissa shushed her.   
"No, it wasn't. Lucius is busy with ministry business. Don't mention this to him." She said in an almost angry tone, a stark contrast to her usually calm demeanor. Katherine swallowed, nodding softly not wanting to argue any further. The two looked around the shop. It was a pet store, with lots of owls, cats, toads, rats, pet food, and a few other animals. Narcissa, wanting to distract Katherine, pointed at some of the animals. "Dear, how about we get you a pet? I don't think Lucius would mind, it would be good for you to have something of your own." She suggested. Katherine grinned and started looking around. She went up to a small black cat, getting scratched when she went to pet it. The rat residing in a small cage bit her, Narcissa kissing the mark afterward to ensure she wouldn't get the plague. Finally, after minutes of looking, Katherine spotted a large dog in the corner. She approached the hound gently, holding her hand out for it to sniff. It lifted its head eagerly, licking her hand.  
A petite woman holding an exotic-looking bird approached her. "Ah, so you've found our albino Doberman. He was left here a few days ago and needs a good, large home to roam about in. He's yours if you want him." 

Narcissa ran behind her, struggling to keep up with the pace of both the young woman and the dog, who Katherine had named Achilles. It was getting dark, and Narcissa's arms were tired of holding the countless bags of goods the two decided to buy. The pair met Abernathy at the entrance, who was there to escort them home, Achilles immediately began biting at his ankles. Lucius was sitting in his chair reading the Daily Prophet when his wife and his sugar baby returned home. Abernathy set the bags down, collapsing from how hard it was to carry them. Narcissa told Katherine to wait outside so she could talk to Lucius about the addition to the family.

"Lucius dear?"  
"Yes, Narcissa."  
"Katherine may have picked up something unexpected today."  
"She's not sick, right?"  
"No, darling. She, under my permission, acquired a new pet."  
"Well, that's not too bad. What is it, an owl? A little cat?"  
"Well, no."

Achilles ran into the drawing-room, barking at Lucius. Katherine followed, apologizing as she grabbed on the dog's leash. "Mr. Malfoy, he was left at this terrible pound in Diagon Alley. I couldn't leave him-ACHILLES!" The dog was biting on Lucius's cane. He sneered, poking the dog with his long cane.   
"Go away." Achilles sat down on the floor in front of Lucius's chair, looking up at him with big puppy eyes. The man didn't smile. "I wish you would have discussed this with me, Miss Farrington. I am not too fond of pets." He said coldly.

"It was my idea, Lucius. What if she gets lonely? Besides, she needs some sort of protection too." Narcissa frowned. Lucius sighed and stood up, glancing down at the dog before walking over to the two ladies.  
"Narcissa, can you go help Draco pack his trunk for tomorrow? I'd like to see what Miss Farrington bought today." He said, his eyes staying on Katherine. Narcissa nodded and headed up the stairs, Lucius sitting down on the sofa. He patted his leg, wanting Katherine to sit down on his knee. She obliged, straddling his knee. Lucius gestured to the bags on the floor.  
"Come on, pet. Show me what you got today, besides that dog. Your hair looks beautiful, by the way. The dark color suits you much better."

Katherine nodded, taking out each item and showing it to Lucius. Besides the handbag, she got a necklace shaped like a snake, a pair of black shiny heels, and some lingerie pieces. Lucius admired each one, his grip on Katherine's thigh tightening as she showed the more scandalous items she bought. Once she was finished, Lucius wrapped his arms around her waist.  
"You picked out such lovely things with my money, darling. And I expect a thank you." He whispered in her ear, snaking his hand down to rest on her upper thigh again. Katherine's breath hitched, moving slightly on his knee.

"Ahahaha, no dear. You're thanking me, remember? Now get on your knees."


	7. Daddy Issues

Katherine blinked, trying to comprehend the words that came out of Lucius Malfoy's mouth.  
He slowly pushed Katherine off of his knee, having her sink to the ground in between his legs. She placed her hands on his thighs, resting her chin on top of her hands as she looked up at him with doll-like eyes.

"What was that, Mr. Malfoy?" She smirked, batting her eyelashes.

Lucius narrowed his eyes, tilting her chin with his hand, gently pressing his thumb into her mouth. Katherine pursed her lips around his thumb, whimpering slightly.  
"I said get on your knees, pet. You're going to let me fuck that pretty mouth of yours, and then you're going to let me fuck you against this table like the filthy girl you are."  
Katherine sunk lower on her knees, gently pulling her mouth off of his thumb with a faint 'pop'. She bit her lip, giving him one last look before starting to undo his belt buckle. Lucius stood up to give Katherine a better angle, gently petting her hair as she slid his trousers and. boxers down, gripping the back of his thighs. He pressed himself on her mouth, Katherine giving his length a few quick pulls to get him hard before inserting it into her mouth.

He was big and thick, and Katherine's mouth immediately began to water as he thrust himself in and out, starting off gently. Katherine whimpered, trying not to gag from the size of his dick. His grip on her hair tightened, and Lucius tugged on it harder as he went faster. Katherine felt herself get wet and she whimpered slightly, trying to get herself off by grinding softly on the back of her leg. Lucius stopped and pulled on her locks, growling slightly once he noticed her movements.   
"Stop that immediately. You're here to please me. If you do a good job, then maybe I'll consider letting you come."

Katherine stopped moving, nodding slightly before letting him set a pace again. She sucked in her cheeks, hollowing her mouth to create more tension in her mouth as Lucius thrust in and out roughly. Tears were now running down her face, her mascara running as she struggled to contain her own arousal. She kept her arms behind her back, letting Lucius use her mouth for his own pleasure. He in turn pushed her head down on his length, causing her to gag. He immediately stopped, tsking. "Ah, how disappointing. Gagging on my cock already and I'm not even close to finished. I can always stop if you'd like. But then you wouldn't get to come. So I advise you to keep letting me fuck your mouth, and don't gag this time." Katherine whimpered in agreement.

Lucius kept his pace, and before long his breath was faltering and Katherine knew he was close. She moved her hands to his length, giving it a few quick pulls again until he was finishing down her throat, a small groan escaping from his lips. She swallowed, and as Lucius pulled out a string of cum pooled on her lip. He looked down at her, pressing his thumb to her lip. "You're so pathetic. Look at you, all fucked out. You're crying already, was that too much for you? I guess you don't want my cock in that pretty pussy of yours then." He snorted.  
Katherine whined and shook her head, pleading with her eyes. "No, sir. I can take it. Just please fuck me!" she begged, wiping her tears away with her arm. Lucius chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. She was so wet now, so turned on she felt like she might die if she didn't get fucked soon.  
"Stand up, slut. Bend over the table." The man ordered, pulling Katherine by her hair. She let out a small whine, standing up and turning around to set herself up on her arms. "Don't turn your head. Stay looking at the wall." Lucius said huskily. Katherine nodded and kept her eyes to the front of her.  
She felt Lucius behind her, his finger gently tracing the back of her leg. He made his way up to her slit, gently pressing his finger against her clit. "Oh dear, you're so wet already. Just from taking me in that filthy mouth. How crude." He murmured, Katherine mewling from the pressure. "What was that, pet? Moaning already just from me touching you? I can't wait to hear what pretty sounds you'll make when I take you from behind."

Katherine shivered, pushing herself out slightly, just wanting Lucius to give in and fuck her. "Please, sir, I need you to fuck me." She begged, tears threatening to spill from her eyes again. Lucius shook his head, his thumb still pressed against her clit as he rubbed it slightly. "Ah, not yet. I'm going to punish you for not being able to take me earlier. Trust me, you'll be a pathetic begging mess when I'm through with you." He hooked his fingers around her panties, ripping them off.  
He slowly inserted a finger inside of her, immediately finding her g-spot. Katherine let out a loud moan as he started fucking her with his finger, inserting another one. He curved his fingers to rub against her, and within seconds she was close. "Please, Mr. Malfoy. Let me come. I'm so close" she pleaded. But before she could finish, Lucius just laughed, pulling his fingers out of her. He wrapped his arm around her, shoving his fingers into her mouth to have her lick herself off of them.  
"I told you you'd be begging for me. It's not over, pet. Far from it, in fact."  
Lucius gave himself a few pumps before suddenly slamming himself into her, Katherine letting out a small yelp. He set another ruthless pace, entangling his fingers in her hair again as he thrust inside of her. Katherine's knuckles went white as she braced herself against the table, pleasure, and pain overtaking her. He was fucking her so good, hitting every spot until she started seeing stars. "Look at you, slut. Getting fucked by an older man. How disgusting." He teased. Every once and a while he would pull her hair, making her look at him fucking her. He was pressing into her so hard he was leaving bruises on her skin, and once a while he would bite at her skin to leave bright purple hickeys on her neck and back.

It was a sight, this gorgeous man still wearing his suit top slamming into her. His face was contorted in concentration, pleased with the way he was fucking Katherine. He pulsed slightly, and she knew he was close. He slowly lowered himself so he was pressed against her back, biting her neck as he spilled inside of her, pulling out immediately, watching his cum spill out of her. Katherine whined, still not getting her own release.  
She could hear Lucius pull up his pants zipper, and she collapsed against the table, becoming a wet mess on the floor. Lucius kneeled down to her level, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Take me better next time, pet." He chuckled, offering her his hand as he pulled her up to her feet gently. Katherine wiped her face with her arm, looking at Lucius. He admired his work, the way her eyes were puffy, and remnants of cum mixed with drool pooled on her red lips. As much as she was frustrated she didn't get to finish, it was still the best sex she had ever had.

-

Katherine stood in her bathrobe, admiring the bruises on her skin. She had cleaned herself up, deciding to take a bath afterward. She kept replaying the scene in her head, how Lucius fucked her so hard and so good. Still frustrated at the fact she had not gotten her own release, she decided to take matters into her own hands.  
She locked the door to her bedroom and laid herself down on the bed, using her wand to light the candles around her. Her body was illuminated in the candlelight, and she was wearing only a lacy black bra and matching black panties. She let her head fall back on the pillow, gently spreading her legs, reaching down to touch her clit.  
As she did, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. Her eyes widened, and she shot up to see Lucius standing at the foot of her bed. He had his hair tied back with a silk bow, his cane gripped in his other hand. Saying nothing, he pulled her to the edge of the bed, grabbing her legs to rest on his shoulders. Katherine heard a clatter as the cane fell on the floor next to him.

A warm breath suddenly hit her heat as Lucius gently kissed it. Katherine let out a small gasp as he started licking up and down her slit before beginning to suck on her clit. He went at a fast yet gentle pace, this time focusing on her pleasure. Katherine gripped the sheets as he switched between sucking her clit and sticking his tongue inside of her, going in rough circles. It was a matter of seconds before Katherine finally came undone on his tongue, letting out a loud moan as her legs twitched. Lucius moved her legs off of his shoulders, licking his lips.  
"You taste lovely, pet." He murmured, Katherine sitting up. Her hair was a mess, and she stared at him with dreamy bedroom eyes.

She could get used to this.


	8. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

Katherine's life for the next few weeks was interesting, to say the least. It consisted of her going to boring Hogwarts board meetings, boring Ministry meetings, boring robe fittings. Anywhere Lucius went that required someone to sit there and look pretty while taking down notes, Katherine went along with him. In exchange, Katherine either got money, material items, or sex.

Most of the time she opted for sex.

In fact, the pair couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Every time Lucius did something for Katherine, she was on her knees. And every time Katherine did something for Lucius, he would make her scream his name multiple times in a row. It was a fair exchange in Katherine's mind. It was around Christmastime when Lucius announced he was beginning to plan the yearly New Year's Eve Ball he held at Malfoy Manor. It was an extravagant affair akin to a Gatsby party, with performers, magical tricks, and lots of partying. The guest list was massive and elite, with the Minister of Magic himself set to make an appearance.

Narcissa always chose the theme, this year deciding on a Masquerade. The servants of the manor began their decorating immediately after Narcissa announced her idea, the manor slowly turning into a black and gold palace. The usually depressing and cold manor gained a sense of excitement and warmth, with gold Greek statues, black silk banners, and a giant gold tinsel tree filling the space. On Christmas Eve, the Malfoy's sat in the living around the golden tree. Narcissa and Lucius sat together on the ornate couch which had been enchanted gold, while Katherine sat on the floor next to Lucius's leg, his one hand holding Narcissa's while the other one had itself gently entangled in the girl's hair. They sat in silence, admiring the view of the decorated drawing-room. Achilles sat at their heels, resting his head on Lucius's shoe. Under the gold tree were lots of gifts, some addressed to Draco for the owls to deliver to him in the morning. Katherine sighed blissfully, resting her head on Lucius's thigh.

The next morning Katherine was awakened by Achilles hopping on her bed. She shot awake, laughing as her dog licked her face. "Happy Christmas, Achilles. Say, why don't we go wake up Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy?" She said mischievously. Achilles barked in excitement, hopping off the bed and running out of her bedroom door.  
Katherine threw on her long robe, trailing behind her excited dog. As soon as she stepped outside her room, the delicious scent of baked goods and breakfast food flooded her nose. She decided to venture downstairs first, to the dining room and adjacent kitchen. The long table had a Christmas breakfast spread across it, with pancakes, french toast, fruit, eggs, and pastries filling the table.  
She entered the kitchen to find Narcissa there, cooking up a storm. There was cinnamon bun frosting in her hair and flour on her face. She smiled once she saw Katherine come in, wiping her hands on the front of her apron. "Happy Christmas, dear." She said, opening her arms for a hug. Katherine laughed and hugged her back, Narcissa pressing a small kiss to her cheek.

"Mrs. Malfoy this is wonderful. I didn't think you would cook all this yourself." Katherine smiled as Narcissa wiped the sweat off of her brow. She just sighed, shaking her head.   
"Lucius thinks the servants do it. But I miss cooking, I used to love doing it when I was younger. I baked a lot with my sisters growing up. So every Christmas, ever since Draco was born, I wake up early and cook breakfast for my family. Of course, now that my son is in school, sometimes it's just me and my husband. But I'm so grateful that this year I can share this with you too." Katherine hugged on to Narcissa tightly.   
"Mrs. Malfoy you truly have a heart of gold. You have welcomed me with open arms and I always wondered why you were so open to this whole...arrangement." She said softly. Narcissa gently played with Katherine's hair, smiling softly as she pressed a kiss to the top of her head.  
"Katherine, I realized that sometimes you have to make sacrifices to stay happy. You know, when you've been married for so long, things can get quite boring. I realized that in order to save my marriage I had to open it up. You're good for Lucius, you know. Trust me dear there are dark things you don't know about my husband. But when you two are together, I can tell that you truly bring out another side of him. A side of Lucius Malfoy that I haven't seen since we married. Your young energy just does something."  
Katherine was a bit surprised by that sentiment. She almost felt guilty, like she was in a way making her hostess feel inferior. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, giving a soft smile.

"Narcissa, you're still his wife. Nothing I do can outdo the love he has for you. At the end of the day, you two sleep in the same bed together. Your love for each other is passionate. One day I'll have to leave to start my own family." She reassured.  
Narcissa laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind Katherine's ear.   
"You'd make a wonderful mother darling. But let's stop discussing the future for now. You're here with us and that's what matters. Now go wake up Lucius, breakfast is going to get cold."

-

Katherine waltzed upstairs to the Malfoy's master bedroom, slowly opening up the ornate doors to peek inside. The bedroom was elaborate like the tenants themselves and she had to stand at the doorway for a moment to take in the beauty of the room. After a few moments, she tiptoed in, approaching the large bed where Lucius was sleeping.  
His long hair was tied back with a black silk bow, the ponytail swept to the side to lay on his shoulder. He laid on his back turned slightly to the side, and he was wearing a pair of black satin pajamas. He looked so calm and peaceful, laying there. Katherine thought it was time to change that. She climbed onto the bed, scooting herself towards Lucius, pressing a small kiss to the edge of his pursed lips before gently straddling him. Her hands pressed themselves against his chest as she slowly shook him. "Mr. Malfoy, wake up!" She cooed. His eyes fluttered awake and he groaned slightly.

"Miss Farrington is there a reason you're waking me up?" He grumbled, his morning voice deep and croaky. Katherine just smirked and adjusted herself on top of him.   
"It's Christmas! Come on, your wife and I have been up for hours already!" She coaxed. Lucius let his head fall against the pillow, patting the space in the bed next to him.  
"Please, 5 more minutes. You can come to lay with me. I do feel a touch lonely, and a bit cold." he cooed. Katherine obliged and hopped off of him, laying in the spot next to him.  
Lucius pulled the covers on top of them, wrapping one of his arms around Katherine. She curled up next to him, resting her head on his chest, the pair drifting back into sleep.

She was running to nowhere. She couldn't see in front of her, or behind her, or to her side. It was just a dark forest. Voices surrounded her, calling from every direction. It was a mix of screaming and laughter and taunting. Finally, she came across a small garden, but as she got closer and closer it disappeared like a mirage. She kept yelling, for someone, anyone to come to find her so she didn't have to run alone. Suddenly she saw Lucius, and he offered her his hand. As she went to take it, she fell into pitch-black darkness.

Katherine shot up out of bed, panting. She was safe, still in Lucius's bedroom. Seconds later, he woke up too, a small look of concern on his face. "What's wrong, pet?" he asked, sitting up next to her. The girl shook her head, responding with a meek "Nothing, just a nightmare."

After Lucius and Katherine got dressed they headed downstairs at around 10 am. Narcissa, who had cleaned herself up from the morning's mess, greeted them cheerfully. She pressed a kiss to Lucius's lips before hugging Katherine again. "Happy Christmas, my loves."

After they had eaten breakfast, they made their way to sit in the living room to open up presents. Narcissa went first, gently tearing the wrapping paper to reveal a small jewelry box. She opened it go to reveal a gorgeous necklace made out of light blue pearls, each one the size of a large blueberry. Lucius smiled as Narcissa hugged him, kissing his cheek.  
Katherine presented her gift to Narcissa, which was a new olive green overcoat. She got to open her gifts next, picking the one from Narcissa first. It was wrapped in gold paper tied elaborately with an emerald bow. Katherine slowly unwrapped the paper to reveal a beautiful ballgown. It was white with golden accents, with a structured bodice and an over piece that went around the neck and covered the shoulders. In the wrapping as well was a masquerade mask made of diamonds and gold.

She gasped while she opened it, admiring the details. "Oh, Mrs. Malfoy! It's gorgeous!" She smiled.

"It's for the New Year's Eve ball. I knew you needed a dress for the occasion." Lucius said, handing Katherine his gift. It felt like a jewelry box, and when Katherine opened it she saw a gorgeous diamond necklace shaped like a snake. "Every single person in the Malfoy family needs something snakelike. You're a part of our lives now, so you might as well show it." Lucius took the necklace out of the box, pulling Katherine's hair to the side to wrap the heavy necklace around her neck. Katherine smiled and quickly grabbed her box for Lucius, handing it to him. It was an ornate decorative box filled with silk hair ribbons and snake cufflinks. Narcissa got him a new cane and a new dress jacket. Abernathy came to clean up the Christmas wrappings, the rest of the day is spent enjoying each other's company.

The holidays went fast, and suddenly it was the night of the big party. Lucius had taken care to invite a few people Katherine's age, one of them being a certain photographer she used to work with. Narcissa had mentioned it to him a few days before the ball, the conversation going something like this:

"Lucius, dear. I think we should invite some more guests to the party, maybe people Katherine's age?"  
"And why's that?"  
"Well, she's much younger than the rest of us. I think letting her have some interaction with people her age might do a world of good. She has a friend, a photographer she used to work with. I think she'd love it if he came."  
"Very well. She will need a dance partner anyways. Send him an invitation."

And that's how Katherine ended up next to Victor, her arm wrapped around his elbow. They were behind Lucius and Narcissa, waiting to be announced as the hosts to the plethora of guests waiting. Lucius wore a gold suit straight out of a fairytale, with an antlered mask to match his striking platinum hair. Narcissa was dressed in an olive gown, her mask more simple, her lips painted a wine red. Katherine wore her dress, Victor wearing an ornate suitcoat and a mask with ram's horns.  
Abernathy stood at the bottom of the staircase, tapping his glass. "Attention, everybody! Introducing the generous hosts of the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Malfoy, and their guests of honor Katherine Farrington and Victor Redferne!" he announced as people began clapping.  
They trailed down the steps, Katherine making sure to keep a fair distance from Lucius and Narcissa. She felt a pang of jealousy, watching Lucius and Narcissa walk together. She was used to accompanying Lucius, and not be in the spotlight with him made her quite envious. As she reached the bottom of the steps, she curtsied and stepped onto the floor.

The Ball was only beginning.


	9. Masquerade

Katherine had never seen such beauty before. She held tightly onto Victor's arm, him leading her to the dance floor. It was a sea of rich-looking men and women, all wearing ornate ball gowns and tuxes, their faces covered by gorgeous elaborate masks. They clapped in unison as the group entered the ballroom, Lucius bowing and Narcissa curtsying at their guests. Lucius stepped over to Katherine and Victor, pulling them aside. "It is customary that Narcissa and I dance first. After a few moments then you and Mr.-"  
"Redferne sir." Lucius frowned slightly once Victor spoke his last name.

"You and Mr. Redferne can join us, then other guests will follow suit," Lucius explained. The two nodded in agreement as Lucius pulled Narcissa onto the dance floor where the partygoers had made a circle. The orchestra started playing an operatic tune. He placed his waist on the small of her back, leading his wife in a beautiful waltz.  
Katherine couldn't help but feel that jealous feeling again as she watched Lucius dance with Narcissa. She knew it was silly, being jealous of a married man. If it were any other married man she would have scolded herself for being a homewrecker. But then again, she and Lucius didn't have a traditional relationship. No, she was sleeping with that married man, and his wife knew about it.

She was snapped out of her state as Victor pulled her onto the dance floor. Now it was the two couplings waltzing across the large space, Victor and Katherine trying to keep up with Lucius and Narcissa. As they made their way across the floor, Katherine would sneak glances at Lucius, admiring how dashing he looked. His hair was braided towards the side, this time tied with a golden ribbon. His tailcoat fit him perfectly and showed off his built figure. Narcissa looked beautiful next to him, her dress accentuating her figure. Her hair was in an elegant updo, with small pieces of hair falling in ringlets to frame her face. They looked equally stunning.  
Victor frowned as he gently tapped the back of Katherine's back, her head flipping around. He smiled at her, pressing a small kiss to her hand as the song ended. She curtsied at him before she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Can I steal your dance partner, Mr. Redferne?" Lucius asked. Narcissa stood behind him, offering Victor her hand, which he took reluctantly.

Katherine immediately took Lucius's hand and smiled giddily as she was pulled to the dance floor. He smiled gently, leaning into her ear so he could whisper "You look stunning, love" into it. She blushed in response as Lucius snuck his hand around her waist, pulling her in close. The two moved in perfect harmony, Lucius twirling her every few steps. She was being guided across the large floor, and she could feel everyone's eyes on her. Every so often she snuck a glance to see Victor looking less than amused, Narcissa at least trying to make him enjoy himself. Lucius suddenly lifted her up elegantly, twirling her in the air before lowering her in a graceful dip. The crowd clapped again, some of the guests rushing onto the dance floor to join in on the celebration. Katherine was then being pulled away by Victor.

"Oh, thank goodness you two are done. I missed my favorite girl." Victor said, beginning to dance with Katherine again. She just nodded in response, moving slowly with Victor again. She noticed Lucius and Narcissa leave the ballroom floor, following a strange man Katherine hadn't noticed before. The orchestra paused for a moment to allow the guests to grab some appetizers. Lucius and Narcissa returned, offering drinks. Katherine took the champagne quickly, Victor wrapping his arm around her waist. A shorter man approached Lucius, grinning. Katherine couldn't see the upper half of his face, but his teeth were crooked and yellow. "Ah, Lucius Malfoy. Just who I wanted to see. What a glorious party, an amazing start to the new year." He laughed, walking right up to stand next to Katherine. Lucius smiled coldly at the man,   
"I do my best, Mr. Ponds." Narcissa looked uncomfortable, taking a sip of her drink.

Mr. Ponds just laughed, already a little drunk. "And, Luci, who's this gorgeous girl? I've never seen her before." He asked, grabbing Katherine's arm. Lucius's nostrils flared and he pushed the man's arm off of Katherine.   
"That's my assistant, Miss Katherine Farrington, and her boyfriend Mr. Redferne. I know you're looking for a fourth wife but I'm afraid she's off-limits." He growled. Victor was grinning, and he pulled Katherine tighter, deciding to press a kiss to her cheek. Katherine bit her lip, blushing slightly. Was she offended that Lucius referred to her as his assistant? Yes. Was calling her his sugar baby any better? No. Did she hate that he called Victor her boyfriend? Also no.  
Mr. Ponds tilted his head slightly. "Ah, Farrington. I remember what happened to them, quite nasty if I do say so myself. Should have just joined the other side. I'd follow anyone if it meant I got to live." Katherine narrowed her eyes, but Victor's tightening grip on her waist signaled to her she should let it be.

Katherine wished that she and Lucius had a better name for their relationship. The girlfriend seemed too official, and obviously, the spot of the wife was taken by Narcissa. Were they even exclusive to each other? Obviously, Lucius was with Narcissa and Katherine at the same time, and, if the opportunity would ever arise, Katherine would most definitely sleep with Narcissa. Romantically, were Lucius and Katherine involved? She didn't know what she felt for Mr. Malfoy. But was she allowed to have other suitors of her own, like Victor? She quickly snapped back to reality, Lucius pressing a firm hand on her shoulder. Mr. Ponds had left, and Narcissa was nowhere to be found. "Why don't you and Mr. Redferne mingle around for a bit while Narcissa and I greet our guests. Take a walk in the garden, visit the stable, go see some performers. At 10 o'clock the dancing resumes, so be back in time for that if you can." He whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. Victor grabbed Katherine's arm, pulling her away eagerly.   
"Come on, there's so much I want to see!"

Katherine waved goodbye to Lucius as she was pulled away. Victor was laughing, pointing at all the sights to see throughout the manor. A group of veelas stood on a makeshift stage, performing an elegant ballet. There were men handling phoenixes that flew around doing extravagant tricks for an applauding crowd. Speaking of the crowd, Katherine could tell they all came from wealthy, pure-blooded families. They all had this sort of dark aura around them, some looked like they had scars, and some wore long gloves that hid their arms. She felt like she and Victor stood out, and that everyone knew that there was something different about the two of them. While Katherine was a pureblood, her parents were not in the likings of most of the guests at the party. Victor was a half-blood, with muggle grandparents on his mother's side.

Victor led Katherine outside, the cold air making her shiver. She always enjoyed his company, even when they were schoolchildren. To be honest, they had always had a secret love going on. Katherine was the wild Slytherin, Victor the protective and reassuring Hufflepuff, a dynamic duo through and through. In fact, Katherine wouldn't have minded if she and Victor had gotten married. That was, of course, before she met Lucius. Her heart swelled at the thought of the two men fighting for her affections before she remembered that Lucius was about 15 years older and had a wife and a child. 

They entered the beautiful garden, Victor taking her hand in his. He suddenly broke the silence between them as he led her to a secluded area. "It was really funny that Mr. Malfoy said I was your boyfriend. I kind of liked it, to be honest. You know how I always felt about you."  
"Yes, but right now I'm not looking for a new relationship. I have this new...job."  
"It's kind of strange though, isn't it? Being his assistant?" He asked with a small laugh. Katherine just nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.   
"Victor I'm not his assistant. I'm telling you this because I trust you won't mention it and as my only friend at this point, I think you need to know. Lucius Malfoy is not my boss-well he is kind of. Basically, I go with him to things and sometimes I sleep with him, and then in return, he gives me money." She spilled. Victor scoffed, and Katherine could tell he was rolling his eyes.  
"So he's your sugar daddy?"  
"Yes."

Victor sat down on one of the marble benches in the garden. "Kat, I have to tell you something. So you know how my parents were a part of that group that helped fight He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named in the First Wizarding War? The Order of the Phoenix?" Katherine nodded as Victor continued. "They're thinking about starting it up again, them and some of the other surviving members. There's a lot of evidence that he's going to come back, Kat. And I know you don't want to hear this but I know for a fact Lucius Malfoy is partially behind it. He was a Death Eater, as much as I know you don't want to think about it. I'm really glad you wanted to invite me tonight because I'm making you an offer. Join us, Katherine. Make your parents proud. Don't get stuck on the wrong side."  
Katherine shook her head, sitting beside Victor.  
"Victor, as much as I respect you and your decision, I don't think he's coming back. How could he? He died when he tried to kill Harry Potter. I don't think you have anything to be worried about."

"Katherine, listen to me, how do you explain the attack at the Quidditch World Cup! You were there, you saw first-hand what happened. Death Eaters attacking muggles and muggle-borns and half-bloods...you know I'd be a target. I'm begging you, please. I don't want to lose the girl I've loved since first year." Katherine could tell he was upset, and his eyes were watering. He pulled the mask off of his head, holding it in his hands as he looked down. "I care about you too much to let you join something evil."  
Katherine sighed and leaned her head on Victor's shoulder.   
"Victor, you know I'd leave if things got bad. Can we just not talk about this right now? Let's enjoy our night. The music is starting again if you want to dance." She smiled as she offered him her hand. Victor slipped his mask back on, letting Katherine pull him off the bench. The pair walked back into the ballroom, Katherine spotting Lucius on the dance floor. Narcissa was nowhere to be seen. Katherine approached Lucius, and he took her hand as he bowed.

"Ah, welcome back. I'm afraid Narcissa is not feeling well so she's retired to our room for the night. However, it would be my honor to dance with you for the rest of the evening." He offered. Katherine eagerly took his hand, mouthing a small "sorry" to Victor as Lucius pulled her to the dance floor.  
Victor approached a young woman in a cat-eye mask, asking her to dance. She obliged and followed him to the dance floor. He took a spot next to Lucius and Katherine, the orchestra starting up again.


	10. Quartet at the Ballet

Lucius placed his hand at the small of Katherine's waist, his other hand taking hers. She smiled softly, moving her other hand to gently rest on his shoulder. The two moved slowly in unison, the pace of the song allowing them to make conversation. "Are you enjoying your night, Miss Farrington?" He asked, pulling her slightly closer to him. Katherine nodded.  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. This party is wonderful. You truly outdid yourself." She said, taking a glance at Victor who was looking less than amused.  
"Miss Farrington, how long have you and Victor been friends?" Lucius asked.  
"Since first year, sir. I'd consider him my best friend. I remember one time, we snuck out in the middle of the night, and he took me to the Hufflepuff kitchens. We almost made ourselves sick on candies, you know being 12 we wanted to eat all of the sweets." She laughed.

Lucius hummed slightly, twirling Katherine around. "I see. His last name is Redferne, correct? I think I remember his parents from the war. He's lucky they're still around." He said coldly. Katherine looked confused, opening her mouth to ask a question before a faster song started playing. Suddenly she was being whipped around in a fast, complicated dance. Lucius still had his hand on her back, but his other hand had moved to rest on her cheek. His rough finger gently brushed itself against her cheek, and she stared into his grey eyes. His touch was unusually warm and Katherine felt herself melt into his hand.

She was soon distracted though, by people staring and whispering at each other. She snapped out of her dreamy state and bit her lip as she continued dancing with Lucius. "Mr. Malfoy, people are whispering. And I can assume it's about us." She said softly. Lucius shook his head. "Nonsense, Miss Farrington. And if they are, let them. They won't dare say anything to our faces." He reassured. She felt slightly comforted in his words, so the two continued to waltz on. Every once in a while Katherine would see Victor stare at her in disgust. She, in turn, would stick her tongue out playfully back at him. Because when she was dancing with Lucius, nothing else mattered. She was his, even if it was just for a moment. Victor didn't matter. Narcissa didn't matter. She was enjoying the attention, his gaze, his touch. It was like he had some sort of spell on her, to make it so that every time she was in his arms she became more flushed and infatuated. It was clear to her that Lucius and Victor did not like each other, that she stuck herself in this love triangle between her best friend and her sugar daddy. She just hoped there would be no conflict between the two.

The song ended, Lucius lowering her in an elegant dip. Katherine stared up at him with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, wanting nothing more than for him to kiss her at that moment. With everyone staring at them. It would be so scandalous, the most prominent pureblood wizard kissing someone 15 years his junior and very much not his wife in front of a whole group of influential people. Scandalous, but hot nonetheless. And Lucius looked as if he was going to do it. His eyes were blazing into hers, and he breathed heavily as he paused for just a moment. He leaned in close before whispering "Later, my dove. Not when people are watching." Katherine nodded as Lucius pulled her back up, the crowd applauding again. She looked around the ballroom floor trying to find Victor, but he was nowhere to be seen. She honestly didn't care, just one less person who would judge her.

"My dear guests, please enjoy the rest of your night. You are all invited to stay until sunrise. I, unfortunately, must retire for the night and tend to my wife who was feeling ill earlier. But first, a toast to the new year!" Lucius announced to the crowd, he and Katherine lifting their drinks to make a toast. The rest of the guests followed suit, toasting to the new year along with them. Katherine couldn't help but smile as Lucius's grip on her waist tightened, rubbing the fabric there slightly. Lucius took a sip of his drink before speaking again. "I do believe there is a fireworks show outside in a few moments. I'd suggest you all head into the gardens to watch the rest of tonight's festivities." The guests all began moving into the garden, the ballroom soon becoming empty besides Lucius and Katherine. The pair stood in silence for a moment before Lucius turned to face the girl next to him, taking off his ornate mask to reveal his whole face.

"Mr. Malfoy, should we go check on Mrs. Malfoy?" She asked raising her eyebrows. "I mean, you did mention she was ill and she's been upstairs for a while." Lucius shook his head, interrupting her by crashing his lips onto hers. Katherine was taken aback but quickly returned his kiss by throwing her arms around his neck to pull him closer. His hands moved from her waist to her back, his hands working fast to slowly begin undoing her corset. She pulled away surprised.  
"Mr. Malfoy, what if someone sees us? The guests can return from the garden at any-"

"My pet, let them see then. I've been waiting to ravish you all night. I simply cannot stand to look at you fully clothed any longer." He replied before kissing her again. Katherine moaned slightly, her hands quickly moving to assist him in undoing the complicated corset top. Once the ties were undone, Katherine slipped the top off to reveal her lacy bra underneath. She slid off the large ballroom skirt letting it pool underneath her. Lucius hummed slightly as he moved his lips to her neck, kissing and biting at the sensitive skin. Katherine's hands moved quickly to his suit jacket, throwing it off of him. She began unbuttoning the buttons of his shirt, practically ripping the shirt open so she could run her palms over the muscles on his chest.

Lucius grabbed her again, pulling her towards the stairs. She was still stumbling to get his shirt off, the two moving their way up the staircase before giving up. Katherine lowered herself on the steps, Lucius hovering above her. They pulled away for a moment, Katherine looking into his eyes again dreamily. "Mr. Malfoy, fuck me on these stairs." She whispered earning a responsive groan from her partner. She smirked, guiding her hand into his already messy hair. Her hands ran through his soft locks for a moment before he began attacking her neck with soft nibbles again.

"I've been wanting to do this all night," Lucius cooed as he began moving his lips down her body. His hands found themselves on her breasts, squeezing them gently in order to make her stifle a moan. Her chest rose in anticipation, his mouth finally reaching the area above her heat. She threw her hands above her head, one hand grabbing at the banister to steady herself. She felt Lucius pulling down her panties discarding them god knows where. She was already breathless from all of the passions and pure, raunchy lust between the two of them. He was suddenly ravishing her, his tongue lapping at her folds. Taken aback, Katherine cried out, her hand almost going white from gripping the banister. He moved one of his hands to press her hips down, continuing with his work. It felt so good, to have him sucking and licking at her like that, taking her on the stairs when anyone, everyone could walk in and see at any moment. She threw one ankle over his shoulder, which allowed him to get a new angle. Her back arched as he switched between flicking her clit with his tongue and sucking on the sensitive nub.

After a few moments, Katherine trembled as she found her release. Before she could catch her breath, Lucius was suddenly buried inside her thrusting roughly. He snapped his hips setting a brutal pace, obviously taking care of his own pleasure rather than her own. Katherine immediately had to grab on his back, digging her nails into the skin. Her head fell back against the stair, and she had to entrap his lips in another kiss to hold her head up.  
"Fuck...Mr. Malfoy! Right there!" She whimpered, Lucius going at an ever-faster pace.

"I bet Victor can't fuck you like this. What would he say if he saw you like this, getting absolutely ravished, hm? To see you here, absolutely drowning in pleasure at my touch? Would he be disappointed in you? I do believe he has a small crush on you, how terrible it would be for him to walk in on us." He husked. His hand snaked down to gently rub her clit with his finger, which only caused her to throw her head back again. He slid in and out of her, his cock stretching her out almost uncomfortably. 

"Katherine? Where did you-KATHERINE?"

Victor. The last person she wanted to see and the one person Lucius wanted to see.

Katherine quickly pulled Lucius on top of her, trying to shield herself at least a little bit. But he was still going, still thrusting, and she could've sworn he was making eye contact with Victor as he continued to take her on the staircase. The thing was, she didn't care. She was still moaning, whimpering, reacting to every touch he gave her. His strokes switched from long to short, fast to slow, sending her in a frenzy of pleasure.  
She let out one more cry as her vision faded to black for a moment, Lucius releasing inside of her again. He stayed hovered on top of her, panting slightly as she stared into his lust-filled eyes. 

Suddenly Lucius was pulled from her, Victor grabbing him away. Katherine squealed, quickly grabbing the fabric of her skirt to cover herself as Lucius rushed to dress himself. "Victor, please, it's not what-"  
"Katherine, shut up for one second. I saw, I saw what he was doing." Victor yelled as he turned to Lucius angrily, storming up to him. Lucius narrowed his eyes, his hand moving to grip the handle of his wand.

"You absolutely vile man. You're like what, 40? And you're fucking married. I don't know what Katherine sees in you but she's an idiot." Victor hissed, grabbing Lucius by the collar.  
Lucius whipped his wand out, pressing into Victor's neck.   
"And you're any better? A filthy half-blood? I will not have anyone of your kind speak to me like that, in my own house, and at my own event which I invited you to. If you have an issue, Mr. Redferne, we shall duel like men. And I can assure you I will win. Your parents might have survived the war but I will make sure you're sent home in a matchbox, boy!" Lucius snapped.

Katherine quickly ran down the stairs, pulling Victor back. Her friend pushed her aside, glaring angrily at her. Victor spoke before she could get a word out."You, stand aside. Let's see if he's as good at physical combat as he is at dueling." Victor quickly raised his hand to throw a punch, but Lucius had already grabbed his wrist, nostrils flaring.  
"You do not want to do that."  
Katherine huffed and stood in between the two men frantically.  
"Please, let's not fight! Victor, go home. It's obvious you are not welcome here any longer. Mr. Malfoy, let's not make a scene at your party." She pleaded. Victor gave Lucius one last look, spitting on his shoe before apparating away. Lucius slowly put his wand away, turning to Katherine.  
Tears were running down her flushed cheeks, and she had a hurt and angry expression on her normally calm face. She shook her head angrily. "Mr. Malfoy, you set him up didn't you? You wanted him to see us. You lost me my best friend." She yelled.

"Katherine, I simply sent him away for a moment. It's not my fault he came back a little too early." Lucius frowned. But she was already running up the staircase, wiping tears from her eyes. "Do not follow me upstairs. I do not wish to speak to you for a while." She screamed, not bothering to turn around. Lucius stood at the bottom of the staircase, throwing his cane on the floor angrily cursing to himself.

Katherine flung open her bedroom door, throwing herself onto the bed beginning to sob. She felt humiliated, used, and scared of what the next day with Lucius might bring. She also wondered what Victor must've thought, he was just saying that he loved her an hour before he caught her. But the sex was amazing. The way he made her feel, the way he stretched her and made her body crave him. She adored the process as much as she hated the outcome.

She felt a gentle hand on her back. "Go away, Mr. Malfoy. I do not want to speak to you."

"That's a shame. Would you at least like to talk to Mrs. Malfoy?" Narcissa said quietly. Katherine lifted her head up and nodded, hugging her quickly as she started to cry again. Narcissa rubbed her back gently, whispering kind words into her ear. "You don't even need to say what happened, dear. I'm going to stay until you feel better, alright?" She said, using her nightgown sleeve to wipe away the tears from Katherine's eyes.

Katherine nudged her head on Narcissa's shoulder, sniffling. "Mrs. Malfoy, can I ask you something?" She asked quietly. Narcissa nodded, placing her hands to cradle Katherine's head.   
"Of course, dear."  
"Have you ever been stuck between two people? Like at one moment you want one but in another moment you crave another?"  
"Yes, I have. Back in my school days, obviously, before Lucius and I married. I can tell you it's such a horrid feeling, having a crush on two people at once. Sometimes you wonder if you chose the right one." She whispered into Katherine's hair.  
"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. Don't let me keep you up any longer. I think I feel a bit better now." Katherine response. Narcissa just smiled and pressed a soft kiss to the edge of Katherine's mouth before placing another on her forehead.

"Goodnight, my dear. Sleep well. I'll see you in the morning."


	11. You Don't Own Me

Katherine made it her mission to avoid Lucius for the next few days.

After the whole debacle with Victor, she wanted to make it clear that Mr. Malfoy had done wrong and that he, in fact, would receive the cold shoulder for the next week. Whenever he would turn a corner at the same time as her, she would make a point to brush against his shoulder ever so slightly while still avoiding his gaze. Sometimes he would try to say something, but Katherine never listened. Narcissa tried to talk to the two of them being the peacemaker she was. Though she did not know the entirety of the situation, she would talk to Lucius first, begging him to at least apologize for threatening Katherine's best friend. He would be his normal self, toss his hair back, and say that she was being the stubborn one. Then she would go to Katherine, say that she should at least try to see things from Lucius's perspective. And of course, being equally as stubborn as Lucius, she would decline the invitation to make peace.

That went on for the entire first week of January. Katherine kept her distance, thankful that Lucius was off of some work duties that week. Without anything to accompany him to, it was easier for her to avoid him. She found herself in the Malfoy's library, reading some of the old books the family had collected over the years. On one particular afternoon, she was sitting by the window reading an old book on wizards in historic Greece. The door to the library opened and Katherine ignored the footsteps. Lucius, most definitely, since there was no clicking of heels or the shuffling of feet. The steps were loud and strong, Katherine not bothering to look up. She kept her nose buried in the book as her feet rested on the edge of the sofa she was laying on.

"Miss Farrington I do have to ask you to leave. I have some work I need to do in here and I'm afraid you'll most definitely be a distraction."

Katherine turned the page of her book slowly, keeping her eyes on the words inside. "You know, Mr. Malfoy, I quite like it in here. I'd like to stay."  
Lucius narrowed his eyes, walking over to her and snatching the book out of her hands. She sat up and reached out to grab it back.  
"Hey, I was reading that!" she whined.  
He shook his head as he slammed the book down on the table next to the sofa. "Katherine Farrington, the library is closed. I'd advise you to leave now before I get even more angry at you than I already am." He growled. Katherine huffed and hopped off of the sofa, snatching the book off of the table.  
"I guess I'll take my reading upstairs, Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius sighed as he sat down on the chair of the library desk, taking out some parchment and a quill. "Do as you must. Go find something to do until I'm finished. Not that it matters anyway, since you've been ignoring me all week. If we weren't fighting I'd have you keep me company while I work on my papers."  
Katherine stopped right before the door to the library.  
"You know, we wouldn't be fighting if you wouldn't have fucked me in front of my best friend." She snapped back.  
"You were giving him too much attention. Or did I forget to mention that as my assistant your job is to be attentive to me and me alone?"  
"You don't own me. I can leave any time I want. I could walk out that door right now and leave you. As much as you think you have control over me you don't. I'm my own person with my own free will. I refuse to be something you walk around with as a plaything."

"Oh, but you won't walk out. You want to know why? Because you're addicted to me. I made sure of that. If you really wanted to leave you would've left when we first had our fight. You would've walked out that door naked if you were so intent on getting out. But no, you stayed here at Malfoy Manor because you know you love this. So no, Miss Farrington, you can't walk out that door. Because as soon as you walk out that door you'd be leaving behind the man you secretly crave. The man you think of when you touch yourself at night. The man who fucks you like the little whore you are. I still can't believe you're letting this petty fight go on over Mr. Redferne, of all people."

Katherine whipped her head around, storming up to Lucius before she pulled him by the collar, crashing her lips against his. His hands immediately cupped her face as he pressed her roughly against the desk. She hopped up, sitting on the desk as she pulled him in closer. The kiss sent sparks throughout her body, and she could feel herself immediately getting aroused. She had missed it that week, the way they would do the nastiest things in the most unexpected places.

Here they were in the library, smack dab in front of the large window that gave a view of the gardens. Katherine's dress was on the floor and Lucius was thrusting deep inside of her again. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the desk to keep herself from toppling over. Lucius pressed one hand into her hip, the other wrapped around her throat. She loved every moment of it, the way he was manhandling her so roughly. She knew he was taking his anger out on her and she didn't care. She let out a jaded moan as she felt his hand on her clit, his grip on her neck tightening warningly. After a few more moments she was coming undone on his cock, Lucius releasing inside of her again as he rode out his own orgasm. Katherine finally fell back against the desk panting, wiping the sweat off of her forehead.   
"I bet you missed that." She laughed before sitting up again, the two of them getting dressed. Lucius gave a half-grin back, running his fingers through his hair as he placed his hands on Katherine's hips again.

"Get off. I have work to do. But you're welcome to stay and watch." He mumbled pressing another kiss to her neck.

Katherine let Lucius sit down on the ornate chair first. He got himself settled before patting his knee, Katherine sitting herself down on his thigh. His one hand ventured to rub her hair, the other holding the quill as he began scribbling on the paper. She tilted her head, trying to get a view of what he was writing. She was getting bored already, and she crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "Mr. Malfoy, this seems so studious and uninteresting. I can think of much better ways for you to be spending your time..." She hummed, flipping herself around on his thigh so that she was facing him, her arms wrapping his neck. Lucius wrapped his arm around her waist but still continued with his work.

Katherine was getting fed up now. She decided it was time to take things into her own hands-literally. She slowly worked her hands up to start unbuttoning the collar of his shirt. Lucius noticed and quickly gripped her wrist with his hand.  
"If you even dare continue I will make sure you go another week without even getting to touch me." He hissed in her ear. That, sounding like hell to Katherine, was enough to get her to stop. She settled herself back down, turning around again to watch him write again. After what felt like an hour, Lucius had finally finished his work, pressing on a final wax seal to his last letter. He gently pushed Katherine off of his lap before standing up, handing the letters off to one of the library owls.   
"Now that I'm finished, would you like to join me for a walk in the garden? Abernathy was working on trimming up some of the bushes and I'm sure Achilles could use some fresh air."

-

The two strolled in the gardens, Katherine enjoying the elaborate statues and hedges. Achilles was on a leash sniffing the flowers and greenery curiously, stopping at one that was trimmed into a snake that resided next to a statue of a tall, strong-looking man with long hair. He slightly resembled Lucius, but with a much sterner face and colder eyes. Katherine stopped at the statue, reading the carving at the bottom. "Abraxas Malfoy." She read aloud. "Your father, I presume?" Lucius nodded, stopping next to her.

"Yes, he is. We commissioned the statue after his death. It's going to be a tradition, I believe. When I die Draco will buy a statue of me and when he dies his children will do the same. We Malfoys take honoring our family very seriously." He said quietly. Katherine took her free hand and gently placed it against his back, rubbing small circles as the pair stood in silence. After a few moments, Katherine spoke.   
"When my parents died, my family pulled together enough money to get a large headstone for them. The Ministry gave us money too, kind of like a "sorry your parents died, here's some money to make it better" situation. They're buried next to each other. I haven't visited in a while." She said softly. "I used to go all the time when I was a little girl. My aunt raised me and Elowen, and once a week we would all get together and gather flowers in the field near her house and we'd all walk together to the cemetery. Elowen would ask all kinds of questions, but I would just sit there in silence. I think I was 7 when they were killed."

Lucius looked sympathetic for a moment before turning back to the statue. "Your story is very tragic. I do hope you don't end up meeting the same fate as your parents. This is why it's so imperative that you stay with me. I can offer you protection. I can assure you I will keep you safe, my dear Katherine."  
"Mr. Malfoy-"  
"Lucius, please. No need for such formalities when we're alone."  
"Okay then, Lucius. Why are you bringing this up now? Do you know something I don't?" Katherine asked, removing her hand from the position it held on her back. Lucius just shook his head, offering a weak smile.

"Of course not. No need to worry your pretty little head. There is nothing to be afraid of."

She just nodded in response, the look of confusion slowly falling from her face. She wasn't buying his act for one moment. Katherine Farrington was a lot of things, but an idiot was not one of them. She was determined to get to the bottom of whatever Lucius was hiding. "Lucius, what other events will I be attending with you for the next couple of weeks?" Lucius thought for a moment before turning to her, the pair beginning to walk again.   
"Well, you're one step ahead of me. I've booked us a little staycation a few weeks from now, at one of the most luxurious hotels still exclusively open to wizards and witches. Just the two of us. Narcissa is traveling to Hogwarts to view the next Triwizard Tournament Task with Draco, you see, and I would hate for us to be cooped up in the Manor all alone. I thought a nice massage followed by a hot tub rendezvous would be something you'd enjoy a little more." He laughed.

"Oh, you spoil me, Lucius. That sounds so lovely." She responded as the two walked into the manor.

-

A few weeks later, Katherine was in her room trying to pack her bag for the night's hotel stay. The manor was empty besides Lucius, Katherine, and Abernathy. Lucius was in his own room packing as well. "Let's see...I need a swimsuit, a dress for dinner...is lingerie saying I'm trying too hard?" She mumbled to herself. She flopped on her bed, huffing as she stared at the ceiling. wished Narcissa was there to help her, but the woman had left that morning for Hogwarts. She glanced at the pile of clothes on her floor before groaning into her pillow.  
"Need help, dove?"  
Katherine just groaned again, nodding her head. "Just pack something, please. Pick whatever you want." She mumbled. She heard Lucius sigh as he began ruffling through her closet.

"For as much money I spend on clothes for you I was sure you wouldn't have a difficult time finding something." He smirked, picking a dress out of the closet tossing it towards Katherine. "Here, fold that and put it in your luggage. We don't have all day." He threw another dress at Katherine, who just tossed it in the luggage not caring if her things were packed neatly. After a few minutes, Katherine hopped down the stairs holding her luggage in one hand and Achilles' leash in the other. She was dressed for travel, with a short black dress accessorized with a large sunhat and cat-eye sunglasses. Lucius came down with his own luggage, wearing a black sweater and his own pair of sunglasses. He grabbed Katherine's arm, the two heading outside together.


	12. Bad Guy

They arrived at the resort around 5. Katherine was in awe at just how stunning the resort was. It was enclosed inside a magical bubble that was hidden from muggles and that felt like a tropical beach on the inside. As soon as she and Lucius entered, she was inhaling the smell of coconuts and tropical flowers. The warm air hit them immediately, and Lucius had to take off his sweater, revealing a tight short-sleeved shirt underneath. Katherine tugged on Lucius's arm excitedly. "Come on, let's go explore!" He took a deep breath, handing the luggage over to the concierge and following the wild girl.  
"Katherine, darling, please wait one moment." He yelled. But Katherine was already heading down a long hallway, the sign reading 'The Scamander Exotic Magical Creatures Zoological Exhibition.' Lucius ran after her, grabbing her arm before she could go any faster. She pulled him into a large, greenhouse-like room before gasping at the sight before her.

The room was enchanted to mimic a tropical beach. There were large, exotic trees and plants growing all throughout the room, completely surrounding gawking guests. A few small birds fluttered around, one flying around a (less than amused) Lucius. There were magical creatures too, like a clabbert who was hanging onto one of the trees, a salamander crawling on the sand and a baby sea serpent that would pop out of the water and splash bystanders. Katherine wiggled her way out of Lucius's arm, running around the beach pleading for him to follow her. He reluctantly trailed behind her, using his cane to push away any animals that came too close for his liking.  
He stood next to Katherine, who was staring at a bird who had landed on her outstretched finger. He let a small smile slip as he stared at her. She looked almost like a princess, with her hair falling in waves on her shoulder and her pink lips turned up in a grin. 

"Look, he just landed on my finger." She said quietly. "This place is so amazing. You know, Care Of Magical Creatures was my favorite subject at Hogwarts. I always said I would be really good at traveling and studying creatures. That was before I found my love of sewing, of course." She said as the bird flew away. Lucius reached out to rest his hand on Katherine's shoulder, smiling softly. "Let's go up to our suite, dear. We have dinner reservations at 7 that we can't be late for." Katherine nodded as she and Lucius headed out of the exhibition. He led her back down the hallway towards the lobby, checking in to the hotel before pulling her up the large staircase that led to the rooms. After a minute or so, Lucius stopped in front of a large door embellished in gold leafing. He removed an ornamental key from his pocket, sliding it into the keyhole. The door faded away into golden butterflies, letting the two enter. Lucius gestured for Katherine to enter first. The girl was in awe at how gorgeous the room was. There was a large king-size bed in the middle of the room and large glass windows that surrounded 2 walls. One window opened to reveal a balcony with a private (fake) beach complete with a hot tub, sand, and lounge chairs. Katherine was bouncing around the room, grinning before pulling Lucius in, the door reappearing behind him.

"Lucius this is beautiful!" exclaimed Katherine, who had now flopped on the bed. Lucius sat down next to her, rubbing her thigh gently.  
"It is, isn't it? I thought you'd enjoy it, darling." He hummed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Katherine grinned and quickly sat up, launching herself on top of Lucius. She pressed him gently into the bed, peppering kisses on his face and neck. He suddenly grabbed her by the neck, pressing a passionate kiss on her lips. She went to straddle him, loving being the one on top for once. The two laid together exchanging sweet kisses before Katherine noticed the time on the clock.  
"It's 6:00 already! Didn't you say we had to be ready by 7:00?" She squealed, hopping off of him. Lucius groaned before getting up as well.  
"Your dress should be in your suitcase. We should be fine." He mumbled, grabbing his own suit from his luggage.  
Katherine nodded, plopping herself on the floor as she dug through her suitcase for her dress. She finally pulled out a small piece of black fabric, staring at it before realizing it was the dress Lucius had chosen for her.

She stood in the hotel bathroom, fuming. Of course, Lucius had picked out the sexiest, most revealing dress she had in her closet. It was black, with a large plunging neckline that left little to the imagination. It was floor-length but had a slit going up on each side. She looked amazing in it, despite how out of her comfort zone it was.  
Lucius stepped into the bathroom with her, looking dashing in his black suit. He wrapped his arms around Katherine's waist, pressing a kiss on her neck.  
"You look absolutely ravishing, dove." He purred, running his fingers through her soft hair. She leaned against him, biting her lip.  
"You picked out the sluttiest dress you could find, didn't you?"  
Lucius just smirked in response, continuing to run his fingers through her loose curls. "Slutty? No, I simply picked something that would allow me to show you off to everyone."  
Katherine rolled her eyes, grabbing her blood-red lipstick applying it smoothly. "I'm guessing you're bothering me for a reason? It's unlike you to barge in while a lady is getting herself dolled up."

Lucius pulled a red ribbon from his pocket, handing it to Katherine. "Can you put this in for me, dove?" She nodded and walked behind him, shifting her fingers through his platinum locks. She smiled to herself before tying the ribbon in a bow around his ponytail.   
"There, are you ready now?"  
Lucius shook his head. "Not yet. I have something for you." She turned to see him holding another jewelry box. It was ring-sized, and her heart leaped before she remembered it was most definitely not an engagement ring. He opened the box to reveal a gorgeous sparkling diamond ring. It had a pear-shaped diamond that had to be at least 4 carats and a band that was wrapped with smaller diamonds. He took her hand gently sliding the ring on her middle finger.  
"Lucius, it's gorgeous..." she said quietly, admiring the sparkling object on her hand. He gave a small smile in return, pressing a kiss on the top of her hand.  
"My dearest Katherine, it's just another gift to you. Doesn't mean anything, I can assure you. An apology present, if you will."  
Katherine blinked before smiling again, leaning in to kiss him again. "Thank you."

-

Dinner was quite boring, in Katherine's opinion. Lucius had taken her to the restaurant at the hotel, and the two had enjoyed a nice dinner. Of course, he just had to show her off to everyone there, boasting about how beautiful his date for the night was. Katherine hated the attention as it was mostly nasty looks from older women and gawking stares from men. After dinner, the pair headed back up to their room. Katherine sat down on the bed, eager to remove her heels and rest for a moment. Lucius followed her inside, taking off his suit jacket and hanging it inside the closet. She laid on the bed letting her arms stretch out as she let out a sigh. "You know, the night is still young. There's so much we have left to do," she remarked, turning over on her side fluttering her long eyelashes.

Lucius glanced at her before letting his gaze move to the hot tub on the balcony. There was steam floating above the scorching water, the plants and the way they contrasted against the night sky looking oh so enticing. He slowly unbuttoned his shirt, letting it fall on the floor behind him. He sauntered over to the glass door, sliding it open before giving Katherine a playful wink.  
"Care to join me?"  
Katherine smirked, slipping off of the bed. "Of course, darling. Just let me grab my swimsuit and I'll be out to join you." she hummed.  
"Oh, you won't be needing that. It is a private balcony, you know," responded Lucius, who was already seated (nude, Katherine presumed) in the steaming hot tub.  
She immediately reached for her zipper, tugging on it quickly before letting it pool on the ground beneath her. Stepping outside into the warm air, she unclasped her bra and slipped off her panties before lowering herself into the hot tub, seating herself across from Lucius. Leaning against the rim of the tub, she grabbed a wine glass that magically filled with wine, Lucius doing the same.

"It's a beautiful night, don't you think?" She asked, staring him in the eyes as she took a sip of her drink. He just nodded in response, shifting himself closer to her until he had his arm wrapped around her waist under the water. Katherine got the idea, leaning herself over to press a kiss on his lips. He returned the favor, the pair exchanging long, lustful kisses. Her arms found a place at his shoulders before she began running her hands up and down his chest. He groaned into her mouth as he pressed her against the side of the hot tub, their lips moving together in a perfect harmony of passion and bliss. After a few minutes, they pulled away from each other. They stayed close, Katherine nuzzling her forehead against his.

"I just want to stay like this, just for a moment," she whispered, allowing her naked body to press against his. His breath faltered slightly, and he rested his chin on top of her head.

"Can I ask you a question, dove?" He mumbled into her hair. Katherine hummed in response, wrapping her arms around him so she could gently rub his back. She was so warm, and she felt so loved.  
"Are you happy? Do you enjoy this arrangement we have?"  
Katherine paused for a moment before allowing herself to pull away. She felt Lucius shudder as she pressed a soft hand against his cheek, giving a dreamy smile.  
"Lucius, you have given me more than I could ever ask for. Of course, I'm happy."  
He just stared at her. She tilted her head slightly, rubbing her thumb against his cheek as he slowly placed his hand on her wrist.  
"I-I just wanted to make sure. Because, you know, you can end this. Get out while you still can. I'm giving you the chance to if you would like to take it." After he spoke, Katherine looked concerned.

"What's this all about, Lucius?" she inquired, pulling her hand away from his cheek. She was nervous now, even a bit scared, and she gazed up at him with big doe eyes that startled him. Lucius shook his head, turning away for a moment before placing his hands softly on Katherine's shoulders.  
"I know you're not oblivious Katherine. There are dark things I was apart of during my past, and those dark things may be coming back. I just want to make sure you're still in this, you still want this, or if you want to leave and not worry about whatever might happen."  
Katherine bit her lip, rocking slightly on her heels as she tried to focus on the warmth of the hot tub.

"Lucius, why did you do it?"  
"I was under the Imperius curse." He started. Katherine knew he was lying through his teeth, but she continued to listen. "I was a pawn for the Dark Lord, and luckily I didn't get sent to Azkaban due to the fact I was forced to serve him. I'm ashamed of the crimes I unwillingly committed. I just fear that soon I might be forced to serve again and I would hate to drag you into it."  
Katherine felt his rough hand on her cheek as his thumb rested against her lips. She glanced up at him, letting herself melt in his hand as she responded. "Lucius Malfoy, you have my trust. If things truly get bad then maybe I'll run. But for now, I'm with you and I'm happier than I've ever been." At that, Lucius leaned down to kiss her again, entwining his fingers into her hair. Their foreheads pressed together as they shared another kiss, Lucius breaking away after a moment. He stayed close, murmuring a quiet "I adore you" before pulling himself away from her.

-

The night went on and on, ending with Katherine laying on Lucius's chest as he slept. Rain and thunder roared outside the window, making their room so cold she had to stay near him for warmth. She stared up at the ceiling as she curled up next to him, listening to his soft heartbeat. Her mind raced with the conversation they had earlier. He was lying, she knew that. She considered leaving, getting up in the middle of the night, and just escaping. But she couldn't. How could she? She was jobless, and penniless, not the mention homeless. This was her life now, until she scraped together enough money to get a place of her own, or found a new job. There was just something about him that kept her reeled in. Every time he spoke butterflies flooded her stomach. Every brush against her skin sent sparks coursing through her body. She felt complete when she was with him, lost when she was without his presence. Together they were whole. The thought of being without him was terrifying to her.

She was falling in love with Lucius Malfoy.


	13. Cleopatra

Katherine was walking down an ornate aisle, faceless guests sitting in chairs on either side of her. She held a bouquet of red roses tightly in her hand, a gorgeous veil draping around her shoulders. Her dad was next to her, walking her down the aisle. At the front of the aisle in the middle of an archway stood Lucius, wearing an all-black suit and an emerald tie. She reached the front of the altar, her father slowly lifting the veil to reveal her face. She stared at Lucius, who gave a small smile in return. The pair turned to each other as they held hands, another faceless man beginning to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and Katherine Adeline Farrington..."

Katherine's eyes shot open, her arm moving to wipe the sweat off of her forehead. The rain had stopped and the room had warmed up, which caused her to toss the covers off of her. Turning to the side, she noticed Lucius was missing. Dread filled her mind as she slipped out of the bed, fixing her silk pajamas. She glanced around the room for a moment before noticing a dark figure outside on the balcony. She tiptoed towards the glass door, sliding it open letting the cool outdoor air hit her face.  
"Lucius? Is that you?" She whispered. The figure turned around, and she sighed in relief as she recognized his silhouette.  
"It's three in the morning. What are you doing awake?" he asked, beckoning for her to come to join him outside. She strolled onto the balcony, staring at the view ahead of her.  
"I just had a weird dream, that's all. Why are you awake at this hour?" Katherine answered.  
"I just needed some fresh air, dove. Don't let me keep you awake. You need your beauty rest after all." Lucius murmured as he gently let his hands run through Katherine's hair. She shook her head in response, leaning against the railing letting out a small sigh.

"No, I don't think I will. Besides, the bed feels so lonely without you." she hummed, letting her fingers trail gently on his arm. He slapped her hand away in response, keeping his eyes forward. "Lucius, if something is wrong you can tell me."  
"It's just you. You're all alone. I couldn't fall asleep, thinking about-" he paused for a moment before shaking his head. "Feeling guilty about, rather, the fact that this little arrangement takes so much from you. You have no friends besides my wife, and I do admit that I caused you to lose your own best friend. And I cannot marry you, I cannot give you children, you have no home of your own and no career. While I certainly don't regret this or anything we've done, I just wonder sometimes if I'm somehow taking something from you."  
Katherine felt her heart shatter. Was this truly how he felt? Like he was robbing her of divine happiness? That sentiment was the farthest thing from the truth. And she wasn't going to take it.

"Lucius, you have taken nothing and given everything. I don't want children until I'm older, I could care less about marriage. I value people, experiences, and obviously, monogamy isn't my thing. What we have, what we're doing...it works. I am happier now than I have been in what feels like eons. So please, don't worry about somehow stealing my life away. I'm only in my 20s, after this arrangement comes to an end we'll part ways, I'll open my business, and I'll leave this behind to grow my own life. Maybe then I'll settle down with someone, have some kids of my own. But right now, at this moment...this relationship is what matters."  
Lucius looked down at her and Katherine could tell he was smiling. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "Come on, dove. It's late, let's get back to sleep." He mumbled, he and Katherine heading back inside after a moment. The two slipped themselves under the covers, Lucius wrapping his arms around her protectively this time as they dozed off.

-

Katherine woke up the next morning to Lucius gently nudging her. She felt his warm kisses peppering her neck, and she moaned slightly as she stirred awake. Sitting up and stretching a bit, she rubbed her eyes to see Lucius laying beside her, wearing black reading glasses and studying the newspaper. It was the report on the previous day's Triwizard Task, the headline reading "The Boy Who Lived Takes Second Place". Katherine peered over his shoulders, reading the story intently.  
"Luci, can we go to the last task? I'd like to see Elowen, and I think it would be fun to watch actual children compete in a deadly tournament that hasn't happened in centuries." She hummed, flopping herself on his lap. His hand found place entangled in her hair, his palms running small circles on her scalp.  
"Firstly, don't call me Luci. But yes, I was planning on taking you anyways, as a surprise. We can all go and pick Draco up early." He responded. She grinned, shifting herself so she was straddling him. Her arms wrapped around his neck comfortably, and he returned a weak smile before going back to his reading.

"I didn't know you wore glasses," Katherine observed, swishing her hair softly as she feigned for his attention. Lucius kept his eyes on the paper, ignoring her as he flipped the page.  
"Well, I'm not 20 anymore am I. I can't read that small print on the paper, they always make it so minuscule." He responded back. Katherine snatched the paper out of his hands, giggling as she flipped the page herself.  
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, let me read it to you so you don't have to strain your poor eyes." She quickly flipped through the paper, trying to find any headline to catch her eye. '50 Ways To Snatch Gnomes' sounded boring, '25 Magical Sex Tips for 60+-year-Old Wizards' was unneeded, and 'Top 100 Wizard Rock Chart' was something she knew Lucius didn't care about. Suddenly, a photo caught her eye. It was a black-and-white image of a curvy woman with long black hair standing next to a tall man with long blonde hair, his hand holding a cane with a silver handle. The man had his other arm around the girl's waist, the girl leaning on his shoulder. The photo was taken through a window, their faces obscured and unclear. It seemingly was her and Lucius. After dinner the previous night. The headline?

'Head of Pureblood Family Allegedly Spotted with Much Younger Ex-Celestial Employee at Luxury Resort. Devoted Assistant or Seductive Mistress?'

Her face went pale, Lucius's glasses sliding to the tip of his nose as he raised his brow. "Well, what is it?" He asked. Katherine swallowed, shifting the paper behind her back.  
"Nothing, it's nothing." She lied, biting her lip so hard she could taste metal in her mouth. Lucius rolled his eyes.  
"Liar. Hand it over." He hissed before sitting up. He pushed the girl off of him before wrestling with her to pin Katherine on the bed, snatching the paper from her hand before standing up. His face went pale as well, his hands making wrinkles in the pages from holding it so tightly. "We need to find out who printed this. Who writes the Daily Prophet again?" He sneered, his eyes narrowed in fury at the paper.

"Rita Skeeter, she's the sister of Miranda Skeeter, my old boss. What does the article say?" she asked him worryingly. Lucius cleared his throat, beginning to read.

"Wealthy pureblood Lucius Malfoy was allegedly spotted alongside ex-employee of The Celestial Katherine Farrington last night at a luxury wizards-only resort. Though the image is blurry, the people in the photograph resemble our two lovers. While many have identified Miss Farrington as Mr. Malfoy's doting assistant, an inside source and ex-friend of Miss Farrington have told me the two seem to have a bit of a flame between them. Lucius Malfoy is married to Narcissa Black Malfoy, and the two share a son together. It is unclear to me if Narcissa knows of her husband's accused infidelity, or if she is staying silent for the sake of her family." Lucius crumpled the paper in rage, throwing it on the floor. "This is ridiculous. I bet the secret informant was that Victor of yours. Get dressed, we're paying a visit to Miss Rita Skeeter, and we're going to get her to print a retraction before this gets too out of hand."

-

Rita Skeeter's office was at the very top of a skyscraper next to the Ministry building. It was an obnoxious, kitschy room with green decorations and a wall of her best news stories. She sat at her desk scribbling away, mumbling to herself about how she would be even more respected and famous with her breaking story.  
"Miss Skeeter, you have visitors." said a booming voice over an intercom. The door to her office sprang open, Lucius storming in as Katherine trailed behind him. He strode over to her desk, whipping out his wand and tilting her chin with it angrily. Katherine moved to stand behind Rita, her hands finding place at the journalist's shoulders as she leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"Rita, you're going to want to print a retraction." Katherine hissed. Rita's eyes opened as she reached for her own wand, Katherine grabbing it and dangling it over her head.  
"This-this is my biggest story yet! It's not my fault you two aren't careful about being seen in public together! Please, you two were asking for a scandal! You're lucky I didn't print anything about Victor catching you two having sex on the staircase!" She pleaded.

Katherine looked at Lucius, who still had his wand pointed at the writer. He leaned in closer, his nostrils flaring.

"You are going to print a retraction, Rita, or we'll force one out of you. You messed with the wrong man. I will make sure your life is absolutely shit." He threatened.  
"Oh, and what will that entail Mr. Malfoy? We all know your dark secret." Rita laughed, reaching to pull down his sleeve. Katherine could've sworn she spotted something on his arm, but the fabric fell back in place before she could take a closer look. Lucius poked Rita's throat with his wand, hissing slightly. Katherine sighed.  
"Miss Skeeter, if you don't print the retraction I'll have Miranda publish those candids of you. You know, the ones of you with the Minister of Magic?" She smirked.  
Rita gulped, shakily grabbing a quill and some parchment. She began scribbling a letter, and Katherine could see the words from where she was standing.  
'It has been brought to my attention that the image I published earlier today was in fact not Katherine and Lucius, but two totally unlinked persons. I apologize for the error and any commotion my article has caused.'

"Now send it," Katherine ordered. Rita nodded and handed the letter off to an owl. Lucius finally retracted his wand, placing it back in his cane. Rita stood up carefully, snatching her wand back from Katherine.  
"Can this be over?" She asked. Katherine glanced at Lucius before pointing her own wand against Rita's head.  
"Lucius, she'll remember this. We need to make sure she doesn't turn us in for blackmail." Katherine pointed out. Lucius nodded as she inhaled sharply.  
"Obliviate."

-

"I cannot believe we just did that!" Katherine yelled as she and Lucius walked back into Malfoy Manor. Lucius had an evil grin on his face and he pulled her inside the mansion.  
"Katherine, darling, I had no idea you had that in you." He purred, pulling her in into him to press a kiss on her lips. She chuckled into the kiss, her hands finding a place on his cheeks as the two stood together.  
"Oh, you two are back."  
They quickly pulled away from each other as Narcissa stood in the entryway. Her arms were crossed and Katherine could hear the rapping of her foot on the hardwood flooring. Lucius walked over to her, embracing her and pressing a kiss on her lips as well.  
"I missed you, my darling wife-"  
"Save it, Lucius. I saw the paper-do you know how humiliating that is!" She yelled. Katherine stepped back, not wanting to be caught in the verbal crossfire.  
"Narcissa, my dear, we handled it. Rita is printing a retraction, and Katherine obliviated her. She won't remember a thing, and it'll all be okay!" Lucius explained. Narcissa sighed and rubbed her forehead with her hand, taking a deep breath.

"You two are trouble, you know that?"


	14. Expensive Mistakes

Nothing ever came of the Rita Skeeter scandal, much to everyone's relief. They either weren't caught or Rita simply didn't remember anything. While Lucius most definitely wanted to show up at Victor's house and teach him a lesson, Katherine begged him not to. "There will come a time, don't worry. We'll get our revenge at some point."  
While the scandal was out of her mind, something else wasn't. Lucius was acting suspicious, disappearing for days at a time, being silent at mealtimes. She made it her mission to figure out why. The Third Triwizard task was coming up, and while he had promised they would attend the last task she had heard no word on when that was, what she should wear, how they were even getting to Hogwarts, nothing.

Snooping around was one of Katherine's specialties, however, and she was determined to get to the bottom of what Lucius was up to. She laid on her bed on her back, her bare feet pressed against the cold wall as she reviewed what she knew in her head:  
1) Lucius was involved in the wizarding war and plead innocent by use of imperious curse  
2) Lucius acted suspiciously whenever she brought up the war  
3) Lucius acted suspiciously when she asked if there was anything suspicious going on  
4) Lucius was speaking to a lot of weird, suspicious-looking people at the masquerade ball  
5) Lucius was suspicious.  
Suspicion alone wasn't enough, however. Katherine needed proof, concrete evidence that Lucius was involved with something.

Abernathy.

If anyone were to know anything it would be him, the old silent butler who heard everything. So one afternoon when Lucius and Narcissa were out, she decided to have an interrogation of her own. Luckily, she found him in the library dusting the shelves, the small man surrounded by dozens and dozens of discarded books. He bowed to Katherine when she entered, which was returned by a smile. Katherine leaned against one of the pillars, watching him intently.

"Good afternoon, Abernathy."  
He stopped for a moment, bowing again. "Good afternoon. How can I help the mistress of the manor on this lovely day?"  
"Mr. Malfoy told me to gather some of his letters and notes for when he and Mrs. Malfoy get back, that's all. Do you know where they are?" Katherine asked, stepping away from the wall to move to the desk.  
"They're in the drawer, miss. I don't know if Mr. Malfoy would want you in his personal drawers." Abernathy nervously responded, stopping his dusting to look at Katherine with a watchful eye.  
"Nonsense, Abernathy. I'm his assistant, I'm allowed to gather his things. I can't read them, but I can grab them for him. He did give me free rein over the house." She responded coldly, opening up the drawers digging through them. One drawer was locked shut. She cursed to herself, searching for a key. No luck. Her head turned to the bookshelf and she noticed a book that was not covered in dust like the others.

Perfect.

She grabbed the book and shook it, a small key falling out of the pages. Jamming the key into the lock, she opened the drawer to find a few loose pieces of parchment. Notes, all scribbled in faded ink. She quickly grabbed the notes, stuffing them into the inside of a random book. Abernathy was still watching her carefully, and she hummed before locking the drawer.  
"Find what you were looking for, miss?" Abernathy asked, and she nodded before leaning against the wall again. Now it was time for some questions to be asked and answers to be heard.  
"Abernathy, how long have you been working for the Malfoys?" She asked, her hands still clutching the book.  
"30 years. I started when I was a teenager, Mr. Malfoy graciously offered me employment as a favor to the ministry. See, my parents were both wonderful magic folk who worked for the Ministry of Magic, and so were my siblings. But alas, I did not inherit magic, despite being raised in a wizarding household. My parents asked Mr. Malfoy to take me in so I wasn't cast out into the Muggle world." 

Katherine felt a pang of sympathy, and her eyes softened as she rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, Abernathy. One more question though. Can you tell me anything about Mr. Malfoy and his involvement with the war?"  
Abernathy shook his head. "No, that I cannot say. They held meetings here, the Death Eaters. And this house was home to many dark artifacts. Of course, Mr. Malfoy was under the Imperious curse. And he gave away the artifacts once the war ended. That's what he said, anyways. Some don't believe him."  
"Do you?"  
"Miss Farrington, I'm afraid I cannot answer any more of your questions. However, I will say this: One day I was up in his bedroom cleaning his wardrobe, and I found something very particular indeed. It's something he wouldn't have kept if he truly was enchanted to follow He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named." He whispered. Katherine nodded as she patted Abernathy's shoulder.

"Thank you for your help, Abernathy. But please, don't mention a word of this to Mr. Malfoy." He pursed his lips, doing a mock locking motion and pretending to throw away a key.  
Once she was out of the library, she ran up the staircase, wandering around the upper floor trying to find the master bedroom. Her room was the first bedroom to the left, Draco's was across from hers, and there were a couple of other doors that Katherine assumed were other guest rooms and extra spaces. Finally, she stopped at a pair of huge double-sided doors that were cracked open. No way was this not his room, it was too fanciful and obnoxious for it not to be. Stepping inside, however, she became well aware it was in fact not his room. It looked more like a museum than a room inside of a mansion. The space was filled with artifacts and taxidermy creatures, all kept behind glass. A few glass protectors were empty, some more recently than others. Despite the empty display cases, there were still plenty of objects. Katherine's curiosity got the best of her as she began walking around to look. These were not ordinary objects.

They were dark magical artifacts.

Katherine's eyes scanned the labels in front of the glass cases. One was a taxidermy mermaid bust, another one in front of an ornate pink bottle filled with bubbling black liquid read "World's Strongest Love Potion". One object, however, wasn't locked away in a case. It looked tossed aside like it was meant to be taken but left behind. It was a beautiful golden ring with two snakes carved into the metal, beautiful pink gemstones shining in the dim light of the room. It seemed to call to her, begging for her to put the ring on, to see how it would adorn her oh-so-bare ring finger. She reached out to grab it.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

Katherine snapped out of her daze, turning around to see a displeased Lucius staring at her. He slid towards her, grabbing her still extended arm roughly causing her to jump. "Katherine, that ring is an ancient heirloom passed down from my family. It's lined with tiny needles that would inject a potion that would make you sleep for a century if you were to be unfortunate enough to wear it. You're lucky I returned when I did." He muttered, pulling her away from the ring and out into the hallway.  
"I'm sorry, Lucius, I was just curious-"  
"Have you ever heard of the saying 'curiosity killed the cat', Katherine? Why were you being a little sneak, anyways?"  
"I was looking for a place to read." She explained, holding up the book she was still holding. "I was getting tired of reading in the library and I wanted a change of scenery. I thought one of these doors would lead to a spare lounge room."

Lucius nodded, his eyes drifting to the book. Katherine got tense, worried he would snatch the book away and see that she had taken the notes. But he just stood there for a moment.  
"Very well. I would go read in your bedroom until dinner if I were you. You are not on my good side at the present moment." He hissed, storming away down the hallway.  
Katherine headed to her room as fast as she could, slamming the door behind her. She quickly sat at her vanity, opening the book and grabbing the notes. She shifted through them quickly, but nothing seemed to catch her eye. It was mostly payment records, Gringotts statements, random things that were personal enough to be locked in a drawer. About to give up, she scanned the last paper quickly.

Bingo.  
Little Hangleton Graveyard, June 24, 1995. Gathering the night of the Final Triwizard Task.  
"Finally, the reason he wants to go to the tournament this time. Something is happening at this graveyard."

-

It was June 24, 1995. Lucius and Katherine arrived at Hogwarts an hour before the task started, Lucius wanting some time to mingle and Katherine wanting to find Elowen before the task started. They had seats with the staff, and Katherine was excited to see her old professors. The two walked to the box, taking two seats in-between Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall.

"Ah, Lucius. How lovely to see you." Snape said as Lucius sat down next to him. He then turned around, raising his eyebrows. "Ah, Miss Farrington. I didn't know you and Lucius were friends." He said coldly. Katherine bit her lip. "I'm his...assistant." Her tone was just as cold as Snape's.  
"I'm assuming you taught Miss Farrington in school?" Lucius asked, shifting slightly in his seat. Snape nodded.  
"She wasn't very gifted at potions, unfortunately. I believe she spent more time admiring her own reflection in the cauldron than she did brewing." Katherine felt her face turn red as she turned away from Snape. Lucius just laughed, his hand gently resting on Katherine's thigh.

"Severus, stop antagonizing her. This is her first time back at Hogwarts since she graduated and you're already making her want to leave." McGonagall said sternly. Katherine's face lit up, and she moved to embrace the older woman, Lucius and Snape beginning to discuss Draco and his grades.  
"It's so lovely to see you, Professor." Katherine smiled. McGonagall smiled back, taking her hands in her own.  
"Please, call me Minerva. Mr. Malfoy, while Miss Farrington wasn't too great at potion-making, she was my most skilled Transfiguration student. I always wished she was in Gryffindor where she would be appreciated by her own head of house."

Snape rolled his eyes. "I never said Miss Farrington wasn't a great asset to Slytherin. She just could've been better in her Potions class."  
Lucius half-smiled, removing his hand from Katherine's thigh. "Please, don't fight over my dearest assistant. She's a great asset to me now."  
Feeling a tad bit uncomfortable, Katherine cleared her throat and stood up. "It was lovely seeing you all again Professor Snape, Minerva. I do believe I should go talk to my sister before the task starts." She said before rushing out of the box. As she turned the corner, she ran smack-dab into none other than Victor, who was holding a camera around his neck. He immediately hugged her, and she slowly returned his embrace confusingly.

"Katherine, I'm so glad to see you. I meant to write an apology. I realized it wasn't cool of me to fight your boss, and that you were probably...you know...because you needed to or something. " He explained. Katherine narrowed her eyes.  
"Victor. So...nice seeing you. Especially after you ratted me and Lucius out to Rita Skeeter." she hissed. Victor looked at her, raising his eyebrow.  
"I never spoke to Rita Skeeter. I was just in my office the day after, ranting to myself. But no one was in there, I swear."  
Katherine hugged him tighter before pulling away. She would offer him another chance if what he was telling her was true.  
"Victor, I'm the one who should be sorry. I just wanted you to have a fun night and I ended up ruining it."  
"Nonsense. I had a wonderful night. And I just want us to be friends again."

Katherine grinned. "My partner in crime, back together again. So, why are you here?" She asked. Victor held up his camera.  
"Photo duty. What about you?"  
"Oh, I'm here with Mr. Malfoy. Just for fun, I wanted to see Elowen." Katherine said. Victor rubbed the back of his neck. "Kat, I'm not sure that she wants to speak to you right now. I ran into her earlier and she really doesn't seem to like you at this current place and time. She's in the Champions hall with Harry and his friends right now, so maybe you should wait until after." explained Victor. Katherine felt hurt for a second before she hugged Victor again. "A few more hours couldn't hurt. I should probably get back to my box. Bye, Vicky." She said before placing a kiss on his cheek.

She headed back to her box, sitting in between McGonagall and Lucius again. The show was beginning, and Dumbledore was helping to explain the task. Katherine leaned over, whispering "So we're just going to watch an empty maze for two hours?" in his ear. Lucius patted her thigh again, leaning in to whisper back.  
"Yes, I guess so. I'm sure we'll find a way to keep ourselves entertained." he purred in her ear. Katherine turned red again, and she slowly began to move Lucius's hand away from her thigh.

"Not now. Let's just have fun later." She suggested weakly.  
The task was as boring as she thought it would be. No one could see anything, and she was getting bored. She was also confused as to why Lucius was even still sitting next to her. He should be leaving to get to the graveyard by now. Finally, he stood up, excusing himself before heading out of the box. Katherine waited for a few moments before getting up to follow him.

He was almost running outside the field, Katherine following close behind. She was almost out of breath before he finally stopped at a small clearing right outside of the Hogwarts grounds' line. She hid behind a tree, keeping a close eye on him. He glanced around for a moment, and she saw him wince slightly as he clutched his forearm. He then looked directly at the tree, Katherine pulling her head away. When she finally looked to where he was just standing, he was gone. "Okay, so he's at the graveyard. I'll just apparate there and then I'll finally be able to confront him about being sneaky." She mumbled to herself before she disappeared as well.  
She quickly stumbled around, immediately ducking behind a gravestone. She could hear a commotion going on behind her, but she chose to not look until she knew for certain what was going on. There were people, dark voices, and the screaming voice of what sounded like a young boy.

This was not a secret meeting. It was a trap.


	15. Out Alive

Katherine kneeled behind the gravestone, her breath heavy as she tried to listen in on the conversation that was going on. She turned her head slightly to see a grotesque bald figure push Lucius to his knees. She whipped her head around and pressed her back against the stone, covering her mouth as she stifled a sob. She could hear Lucius pleading, saying that he always stayed loyal to-

The Dark Lord.

How could she have been so stupid? She knew that Lucius was a Death Eater. She knew of his reputation, the things he did. But she always assumed his excuse of being under the Imperious Curse was true. That he didn't mean to do those terrible things. He had even reassured her he wasn't involved with the dark side anymore. That fucker.  
"Ah, Lucius. It seems you brought a little mouse with you."  
Katherine stopped breathing, quickly backing away from the stone as it was blasted to pieces behind her. She stood up and turned around, screaming when she saw the sight behind her. Harry Potter was trapped against a statue, and there was a circle of Death Eaters surrounding the bald figure. Lord Voldemort in the flesh. Her eyes flashed between the figures before she found the long-haired blond.

Lucius was kneeling, his head tilting up as soon as Voldemort spoke. His head whipped around, his eyes widening as he spotted Katherine. Rising slowly to his feet, he began glancing back and forth between her and Voldemort. He slowly walked over to her, grabbing her arm roughly as he pulled her toward him.  
"Katherine...you stupid girl. Do you know what you've now gotten yourself into?" He hissed in her ear. The girl in his arms started to sob, not being able to hold it together. Fear had overtaken her. Katherine rarely cried.  
"You just left! You've been suspicious, I just wanted to find out where you were going off too! Ever since the Quidditch World Cup you've been acting strange!" She yelled. She heard Voldemort laugh behind her, and suddenly a Death Eater had her in his grip, his wand poking her face as he laughed maniacally.

"Katherine, you said her name was? Didn't the Farrington's have a daughter named Katherine? They should've joined me, joined our noble ranks, and maybe then they would still be alive. Someone here would know, someone here was the one who killed poor Arlo and Blythe." Voldemort asked, approaching her. Katherine squirmed, her eyes pleading at Lucius for him to help her. He just kept his head down. She thought he was a vile coward.

Katherine kicked around violently, trying desperately to escape the Death Eater's grip. She turned her head to Lucius, her eyes filled with an absolute raging inferno. "You-you killed them didn't you?" she screamed.  
Voldemort laughed again, shaking his head. "Lucius? No, not him. Your parents weren't important enough to be killed by him. No, your parents were murdered by Nott. And he's here if he wants to finish the job. A little pre-show, before we kill Harry Potter. Just for fun."  
Katherine was sobbing now, still thrashing around desperately. The Death Eater identified as Nott threw her to the ground on her knees. He stood above her, tilting her chin up with his wand. Lucius made eye contact with Katherine, and she could see a look of sorrow in his eyes.

"Cruc-"

"WAIT!" Lucius yelled, quickly pulling Nott back. He looked down at her before looking at Voldemort, picking her up and holding her back against him.  
"My Lord, she's here for a reason. I knew she'd follow me. She's my gift to you, you see. I purposefully chose her to be my...assistant for that reason. I knew who her parents were, how they refused to join your cause. When I caught wind of your upcoming return I thought there would be no better gift to you than to bring you the daughter of the one family you couldn't convert. I tricked her, lured her in with my riches, lived with her, slept with her. All to gain her trust so I could eventually bring her to you, my lord. "

Katherine stopped crying for a second to tilt her head to look at Lucius. He refused to look into her eyes. Voldemort snorted. "What can that pathetic daughter of blood-traitors offer me?" He asked.  
Lucius swallowed, gripping Katherine tighter. "Her loyalty, my lord. She'll have to choose between death or following you. I can assure you her beauty and charm can be most useful, and she'll be under the guidance of me." Katherine's heart sunk as tears ran down her face. It was either die or betray her entire morality. Join them or die, and a terrible death at that. But she could get out of it, right? The words Mr. Ponds spoke to her at the ball echoed in her head. "I'd follow anyone if it meant I got to live."

"So, Katherine...what will it be?"

Lucius stared into her eyes, which seemed to be saying 'please, say yes. Spare yourself' Katherine took a deep breath and looked back at Lucius. "I'll accept your offer. Thank you...my lord...for being so gracious."  
Lucius exhaled quickly, letting go of the girl he held in his arms. Katherine fell to the ground, trying hard to not start crying again. Voldemort walked over, tilting her head up with the bottom of his barefoot.

"Very well. Stand up, girl."

She rose to her feet as the man grabbed her chin, inspecting her carefully. Katherine stifled a whine as she felt his hot breath against her cheek. He slowly walked around her, his sharp nails scratching her cheek and neck. "Ah, she's a pretty one, Lucius. Though she's not deserving of the Dark Mark yet, she'll be very useful indeed. A most gracious thank you." Voldemort sneered, pushing her back towards the blond. Katherine stumbled into Lucius's arms, grabbing onto his arm as he pulled her tightly against him again.  
The two of them stood in silence. There were no words to be exchanged, no one was going to offer a hug or condolence or an 'I'm just glad you're safe'. Because both of them were absolutely furious at each other.

The night went on, and Katherine was forced to watch all of the terrible events that proceeded. How Voldemort killed Cedric, tortured Harry, dueled him, and lost. She felt numb, unable to completely comprehend what she had done. How she had given her life, her free will away. This was no longer a game, a way for her to weasel her way into power and success. She had gone against everything she stood for in order to save herself. And she had herself to blame.  
And Lucius. She blamed him too, of course.

-

Lucius pulled Katherine into her bedroom, throwing her onto her bed. She was sobbing, heaving, angry sobs. She sat back on the bed, her wand pointed at him in defense. "Stay back. Get away from me, you monster. You tricked me! This was all a lie!" she screamed. Lucius winced, putting his hands in front of him defensively. Narcissa ran into the bedroom, immediately rushing onto the bed grabbing Katherine's arm.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy! What on earth is going on!" She yelled.  
"Well, Lucius, care to explain yourself!" Katherine hissed back.  
Lucius just lowered his hands, trying to stay calm. "Katherine, my dove, I lied. This wasn't a trick..." he explained, trying to plead with her. He reached out to cup her cheek but his hand was immediately slapped away.

Now he had it. His patience ran out and he snapped, and he grabbed Katherine's wrist angrily. "How dare you! You ungrateful little wench, you should be reveling at my feet thanking me. You followed me and I lied to the Dark Lord for you!"  
"I wouldn't have had to if you would've just been honest with me! Obviously, if you had told me that you were, you know, promenading with the Dark Lord I wouldn't have followed you! But no, you just had to be mysterious and not tell me. You told me nothing bad was going to happen. I was supposed to be under your protection, you promised me that." she cried, Narcissa pulling her into an embrace shaking her head.

"Why are you crying? You certainly don't deserve to, seeing as you did this to yourself. Learn to mind your own business, you meddlesome little brat! You were never supposed to know anything about him coming back. If you wouldn't have followed me like an absolute idiot we wouldn't be in this little predicament now would we!" Lucius roared back.  
"Lucius, please. She's just scared. Have some sympathy-" started Narcissa. Lucius just cut her off, stopping his pacing for a moment to turn directly towards Katherine.  
"Sympathy? She deserves nothing. I gave her the chance to leave, but she didn't take it. It's no one's fault but her own."

"AM I ALLOWED TO DEFEND MYSELF!" yelled Katherine, pushing Narcissa off her so she could stand up. "I knew you were keeping secrets. I thought we had mutual respect for one another. I thought you cared about me. And guess what? You can't get rid of me. Now I'm entangled in all of your shit and you're going to have to deal with me for the rest of your life." She smirked.

This sent Lucius off the edge. He turned around, cornering Katherine against the wall. His breath was ragged against her cheek, and she watched as he slowly lifted up his shirt sleeve. He shoved his arm towards her, the black skull and snake glistening with his sweat. "Are you happy now? Does this make you happy? I see you smirking, thinking this is all some game! It's not, Katherine. You're going to see the darkest, most horrifying part of me. What I've been hiding. I don't have a choice-I never had. I was born into this. And you just willingly gave up your chance at a life without this darkness, the terrible things you'll now be forced to do. And the funny thing is-I don't care about you. No one does. I saved you to keep myself from having your blood on my hands."

"I hate you," Katherine said, her voice cracking. Tears were rolling down her flushed cheeks, despite how hard she tried to stop herself.  
"I'm done with this conversation. Come find me when you're ready to talk like an adult!" Lucius roared back, shaking his head before storming out of the room. Katherine collapsed against the wall, burying her face in her hands. Narcissa immediately ran to her, kneeling down and pulling her into her arms. Katherine just sobbed and sobbed until her tears ran out. Narcissa just held her, rubbing her back consolingly.

"What have I done?" Katherine whispered, still shaking in Narcissa's arms. The woman just sighed, taking Katherine's hands in hers.  
"Katherine, I've been doing this ever since I was a little girl. It's scary, and there were times I was convinced I was going to die. But we have an advantage as women. There's only one female Death Eater, my sister Bellatrix Lestrange. And she's psychotic. The most I've ever done was sit through meetings. I don't even have a dark mark. You're going to be okay." She reassured.  
Katherine sighed, bumping her head on the back of the wall she was sitting against. "I guess I'm just angry. And hurt. And I feel guilty. I shouldn't-I shouldn't have followed him." Narcissa shook her head  
"No, that was idiotic of you. But I don't blame you. Now that you're at least calm, I think it would be a good thing for you to talk things out with Lucius. I can only do so much."  
-

Knock.

No answer.

Knock Knock

Still no answer. Cursing to herself, Katherine opened up Lucius's bedroom door. He sat on his bed sipping a glass of wine as he stared out the window.

"I'm ready to talk like an adult."

Lucius turned his head around. His eyes weren't red and puffy. His cheeks weren't wet with the remnants of tears. It was obvious he hadn't cried at all. Staying silent, he beckoned for Katherine to sit down next to him. She did just that, plopping herself on the edge of his bed.  
"I'm sorry, Lucius. I really am. But in my defense, I thought you were just having some secret meeting. You see, you were acting so suspicious I snuck your papers from your desk drawer and I saw the name of the graveyard. So I followed you at the tournament and I saw you apparate away so I followed you. I just assumed you were going to the cemetery. But I didn't know that it was because He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was coming back, honestly." She ranted. A look of disappointment mixed with anger appeared on Lucius's face.

"Katherine perhaps I didn't tell you because I wanted to keep it a secret. If you never would've found out, everything would've been fine! Now the Dark Lord knows of your existence and you've subsequently pledged your loyalty to him."  
Katherine sighed. "Can't I just disappear? Like, I can leave the country, leave this, leave you. And I'll be okay, right?"  
"No, you won't." Lucius hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders roughly. "Have you learned nothing about the Dark Lord in school? Do you know nothing about the power he has? He would find you, torture you until he was merciful enough to end your life. You. Cannot. Run."  
Katherine swallowed, laying down on the bed to stare up at the high ceiling of the bedroom."So I'm fucked. I either follow or die?"

The gravity of the situation finally set in. She had no more tears left to cry, and she didn't want to scream or break things or bang her head against the wall. She just wanted to go back to the way things were. A time where she and Lucius were just carefree and fucked around and she knew nothing of the man he was. Things between the two of them would never be the same. And that scared her more than the fact that she now had to be loyal to Lord Voldemort.  
"Lucius, what do you think I'll have to do?"

Lucius glanced down to look at her. "That I don't know, Katherine. Luckily you're not a formal Death Eater, and I will never let you become one. My guess is you'll just have to use your wits to gather information, maybe seduce someone into giving secrets away? And as I said, you'll be under me. I surely won't make you do anything you don't want to. Katherine, my darling little dove, I swear I will protect you." After he spoke, he leaned down to press a kiss on Katherine's lips, pulling away after a moment.  
Katherine sat up wiping her nose. She sniffled but still held back from crying again. "I bet Harry told Elowen that I was there. She probably thinks I'm evil now. So you better protect me because I just lost my family for you." She whimpered before throwing herself in Lucius's arms. He hesitated for a moment before rubbing the back of her head gently.  
"I promise. You will not get hurt."

-

That night, Katherine sat at her vanity staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her cheeks flushed pink and wet from her tears. She sniffled one more time before glancing at a dagger Lucius had bought her as a gift. Her eyes snapped back to her reflection, then to the dagger again. Snatching it, she took a chunk of her hair in one hand, swishing the dagger as she closed her eyes. When she opened them, one side of her was inches shorter than the other. Soon the other side was the same. Her sleek black hair now fell right underneath her shoulder blade.  
"Introducing the new and improved Katherine Farrington." She mumbled to her reflection, her fingers threading their way through the choppy locks.

A new chapter was just beginning.


	16. Human

The following weeks were difficult.

Though the weather was warming up with the beginning of summer, Malfoy Manor stayed cold and cruel on the inside. Draco was home for the holiday, and Narcissa and Lucius were eager to dote on him. Katherine was left alone for most of the day while the parents took their son out to do shopping or walk along the garden. Her evenings were spent with the family, and her nights were spent mostly alone.

She knew that she wasn't purposefully being ignored. The Malfoys put family over everything, and at the end of the day, Katherine wasn't a Malfoy. And she never would be, much to her dismay. She wasn't Lucius's wife or Draco's mother. She wasn't Narcissa. In fact, everyone outside of the family saw her as Mr. Lucius Malfoy's attentive, undoubtedly homewrecking assistant. Inside, she was his mistress, his sugar baby, his darling little dove. In turn, he was her protector. She needed him more than ever, in this new age of her pledging alliance to the evils of the Dark Lord. Luckily, nothing was really being planned so it was less of a worry for the summer.

She and Draco were constantly at each other's throats-whenever his parents weren't around of course. Katherine never thought one child could have so many issues. She didn't really do anything to him, but for some reason he hated her. So. Fucking. Much. In fact, she felt like everything he did was a plot to ruin her. In the mornings he would only speak to Lucius and Narcissa during breakfast, ignoring any attempts Katherine made to have any type of discussion. Then he would beg his parents to take him somewhere for the day (emphasizing the fact he did not want Katherine to go along with them). He would spend the entire day with them, and when they arrived home it would be so late for any late-night antics. Lucius would come into Katherine's room and leave a small gift from the day, mostly jewelry or fancy chocolates, or new shoes.

But she didn't want jewelry and strawberries covered in gold-flaked chocolate. She wanted Lucius. She wanted his hands to run up her waist, his fingertips to brush against her clavicle, his ringed fingers to press themselves into her neck. She missed him, she missed his longing gaze, the way he knew how to find all of the right spots at all the right angles. But she knew that especially now with Draco home, the occasion and time for the two to go at each other was limited.

If a seductress was what she was viewed as a seductress is what she would be. The summer holidays were almost over, and Katherine and Lucius had slept with each other no more than 3 times in the three-month holiday. It was the night before Draco had to head back to school, and Katherine was determined to get her way. Narcissa had taken Draco out for the evening, leaving her and Lucius alone in the manor. Tossing her sheer black robe on top of a wine-colored teddy, she headed into the master bedroom. There she spotted Lucius sitting at his desk reading a book, his glasses resting at the tip of his nose. Prowling behind him, she stood quietly until he noticed her.

"You've been ignoring me, Luci." She hummed, her long finger twirling a ringlet of her hair. "Ever since Draco got home I've been put on the back burner. You go out all day with your family and come home so tired from the day's frolics that I end up ignored. Half of the time I end up having to pleasure myself at night to the thought of you fucking me." She was behind Lucius now, her hands skillfully moving to massage his clothed shoulders.

"Katherine I did not intend to be so neglectful. I'll make it up to you." Lucius responded as he stifled a groan, the woman behind him unknotting his shoulders just to his liking. Katherine stopped her work for a second, tsking quietly to herself.  
"Aw, but I've been so lonely and desperate for you the past few days. And no one is home...we can fuck on every surface in the manor as many times as we want." she purred.  
This sent Lucius over the edge. He stood up from his seat at his desk, immediately turning around to grab Katherine. She smirked before his lips practically melted into hers. It wasn't a sweet kiss or a caring kiss. It was a rough, dominating, one that sent a clear message to Katherine that her teasing and attitude were very much not appreciated. He was biting, tugging at her lower lip with a bold, fiery passion.

All of a sudden she was pressed against the desk, Lucius grabbing at the tie of her plush robe. He undid the bow with intense rigor and skill, pushing the sleeves off her shoulders immediately breaking the kiss to slowly began nipping at her bare neck and collarbone. Katherine yelped in response, immediately bringing her hands to tug on his lock blond locks. He moved his lips lower and lower on her body before stopping.  
"As ravishing as you look in this lingerie, my dear, I want it off."  
Katherine pouted. "But I look so good, Luci." He just growled in response, reaching to essentially read the lacy garment off of her. Once her naked body was completely exposed to him, he began kissing every inch of her. Lips trailed along her breasts, her torso, her stomach, before finally settling on her inner thigh. He was kneeling at the foot of the desk now, his hand reaching to gently push Katherine down on the hard wooden desktop.

Her back hit the cold surface, and she shivered as she felt Lucius kiss up her thigh. A cold breath hit her slit as she felt Lucius press a kiss against her folds. She gasped as her legs were immediately thrown atop his shoulders, Lucius beginning to lap at her folds. The feeling was like something she had never experienced with him before. All the time they had spent apart, the time she had spent just craving him amplified all of the already intense pleasure she was experiencing. "You taste divine, my dear." He whispered on her skin. He was alternating his movements at a quick pace, sucking her clit for a few moments before his attention went back to her folds. Her eyes rolled back as her knuckles turned white from gripping the desk so tightly. Her head was spinning, small gasps escaping her red lips. "Fuck, Lucius, I'm going to-" Just as she was about to come undone on his tongue he stopped and pulled away. Slightly miffed, Katherine sat up, her wetness dribbling down her plush thighs. "What the fuck was that about?" She hissed. Lucius just smirked to himself.

"You're going to cum on my cock, dove, and you're going to watch me fuck you as you do."  
Suddenly she was being told to jump. She hopped into his arms before she was carried over to his elaborate bed. She noticed his bed sat right in front of the vanity mirror, giving the pair a perfect view of what they were doing. She felt her breath hitch as Lucius moved her onto her hands and knees. Her eyes moved up as she noticed the reflection in the mirror. Lucius was behind her, fully nude now. His long hair fell on his back, his muscled chest glistening with sweat in the dim light. Katherine swore she would orgasm from the sight alone.

He pushed his hands into her hair, forcing her to arch her back and look at the crystal reflection before her. She was almost drooling at the sight, and she felt wetness trickle down her thighs and she became even more aroused."Look at the mirror, dove. Do you want to know what I'm observing? A desperate, pathetic slut on her knees all for me. And she's going to watch me fuck her until she unravels at my touch like she pathetic slut she is." Katherine swallowed, his grip in her hair tightening as he tapped his cock against her entrance, not pushing in quite yet. She trembled slightly, rolling her hips trying to at least gain some pressure. Lucius gripped her ass firmly in response with a low growl.

"I said. Beg. For. It."

"Please, Mr. Malfoy, just fuck me already!" Lucius finally obliged, pushing into her roughly. One hand gripped her hip so hard it began leaving a bright purple bruise on her skin. His other hand was entangled deeply in her hair, forcing her head up so she was forced to stare at the reflection. It was a dirty, nasty sight indeed, with her breasts bouncing and his cock moving inside of her. Katherine was panting with every rough thrust he made, the man behind her having no mercy. It was primal energy, Lucius going at a maddening pace. He had no regard for gentle movements. She moaned loudly, circling her hips back to try to gain some of her own pleasure from his carnal thrusts.  
"Look at you, taking my cock so well." Lucius purred, his ringed hands moving to press against her neck. His thumb pressed against her lip as she began sucking the tip of it, whimpering quietly as tears began to fall against her flushed cheeks. "You're so incredibly tight too, is that why you're whining? Three months without me fucking you and you already can't take my cock? I love seeing you fall apart for me." He teased, pushing himself inside her so hard it caused her to yelp in pain. The pain subsided after a second, and she was feeling the pleasure again. She was in a daze, her eyes fixated on the sight of him behind her. Just the way they moved in harmony together so naturally, so intensely, was enough to bring her to the brink of another orgasm.

But she didn't get it, Lucius stopping as soon as he finished inside of her. Whimpering, her knees buckled as she collapsed on the bed. Her clit was painfully throbbing, her legs still shaking and wobbly from the intense fucking she had just endured. She panted, wiping the sweat off of her brow. "Lucius, please...I was so close..." she begged, tears running down her face. If she didn't come soon she would surely die. Not really, she was just being dramatic.

"Stand up. Stand in front of the mirror." She did as she was told, moving to stare at her fucked out reflection. He moved behind her again, sliding his hand around her neck again as he bent her over, slipping inside of her again. "Look at how burnt out you look. You're so needy, so desperate for me. You just want to come, is that it? Is that why you're so fucking wet for me? You can take it, darling. You know it hurts so good." He mumbled in her ear. Her palms were pressed against the mirrored surface, glass turning foggy with her hot breath. Lucius was thrusting inside of her again at another quick, pleasurable yet painful speed. Her moans and cries filled the room as she looked at herself in the mirror. There were purple marks on her hips remnant of how hard he was pressing into her skin. Her face was wet with tears, her mascara and eyeliner smudged into black drips and clumps on her

She felt herself getting close again. "Please, I'm close this time-" she whimpered, crumbling in his arms as she finally reached the most intense orgasm of her life, Lucius trailing not far behind as he released inside of her again. Her whole body felt numb and used. In a good way, though. In a way that made her attached to Lucius even more. He pulled out quickly, lowering her onto the bed gently.  
"Dear, are you alright?"  
"I-I-I'm okay." She responded, still panting. A smirk crossed her lips as she pulled Lucius on top of her. "Who's up for a round two?"

-

Katherine laid curled up in Lucius's bed with her head in his lap, Lucius sitting propped up by a pillow behind his back. As Katherine promised, they had fucked on multiple surfaces in the manor. On the kitchen table, on the floor, in the library, out in the gardens. It was a night indeed, and the poor woman had tired herself out. His hands ran themselves gently through her hair, the girl in his lap humming softly as she slept. He sat there, admiring her flushed red lips and the curves off her body. He sighed quietly to himself. As much as he wanted her to stay, to sleep next to his side, he knew Narcissa would be returning shortly. It was their bed, their space, and he felt a pang of guilt having Katherine in it.

Slipping his arms underneath the sleeping beauty, he picked her up bridal style after he stood up out of bed. He made his way outside of the bedroom door, striding down the hallway before stopping at her bedroom door. He pushed it open with his shoulder, taking Katherine over to her bed. She was sound asleep in his arms still, and he quietly laid her down on the plush comforter throwing a decorative blanket over her. Achilles, who was waiting for her at the foot of her bed, hopped on the bed too. Lucius clenched his jaw, not amused at the dog on the bed but deciding it was fine for the time being.

"Goodnight, my sweet dove." He whispered, pressing a kiss to Katherine's forehead. "I know you cannot hear me, but I want you to know how much I care about you. You make me feel so young and so free. You know, some people think I'm a monster, that I'm heartless. You see through that. You take it upon yourself to see behind the riches and my cold nature. I don't know how you can care about me, and maybe you're just faking it. Regardless, I wish I could have you around forever." He took one last look at her before heading out of her room. He found himself running into Narcissa, who was just heading to bed. She looked distraught.  
"Narcissa, what on earth is wrong?" He asked, taking her hand in his.  
"Lucius, Bellatrix has escaped. I'm assuming she'll be here tomorrow. I'm worried-about Katherine and how she'll deal. Honestly, I worry for her safety."

Lucius swallowed, running his fingers through his hair. It wasn't good. Narcissa's sister was deranged and violent and most definitely would attack the new woman if she got the chance. She was a fearful Death Eater, the only one Lucius feared besides Voldemort himself. He knew Katherine wasn't weak, but he couldn't risk losing her. Not when she was the only one who made him feel something other than numbness.

"We might have to let her go”


	17. Knowing Me, Knowing You

"Narcissa, we are not kicking her out. She pledged her loyalty to the Dark Lord, she has to follow through or else she will be killed. That is a fate far worse than living with your sister." Lucius argued. Narcissa just crossed her arms, shaking her head.  
"Lucius you don't get it. Don't you remember? This manor becomes the hive for all the evil things that happen. She's not safe here. She's a smart girl, she can go into hiding or flee the country, or the continent even. I hear MACUSA needs profilers, a government job would keep her busy and give her security. Just please consider it. If you really cared about her, you would let her go."

And consider was what he did. He sat on his armchair, his cane in one hand and a glass of firewhiskey in the other. Katherine was sitting on the floor in front of him playing tug-of-war with Achilles. He admired her, how she was so playful and youthful and so damn beautiful. He came to the conclusion it wasn't fair. She was 24, she should be out at bars with her friends and finding someone to settle down with. Yet here she was, spending her days in the manor with him. Lucius felt he was so undeserving of her and the love and affection she gave him when he couldn't bring himself to return the feeling. But of course, he couldn't let himself confess the real reason he was letting her go. He didn't want her to know that her safety was in danger, that she was about to truly see what he, Lucius Malfoy the Death Eater, was. No, he was going to lie and most definitely crush her heart in the process. 

-

"I cannot do this anymore."

Ouch. The words struck Katherine in the heart like a sharp arrow hitting the chest of a beautiful doe. She didn't speak for a moment unable to form a single strand of words that would describe the ache she felt at that moment. They stood in the front drawing-room, Lucius pacing back and forth as Katherine stood in front of him.  
"Katherine, this is too much. Too hard for me to do. I-I need to protect my family first, above everything. My own kin and blood. Things are going to get scary, get intense, and I simply cannot focus on you any longer."

Tears threatened to spill out of the young woman's eyes, but her bite on the inside of her cheek kept them inside. "What do you mean? Lucius, I essentially my soul to the Dark Lord. Not literally but you know what I mean. And now you're saying I need to leave? You said you'd protect me! What am I supposed to do now, huh? If you have a suggestion on how I can leave and not end up tortured or dead because of my betrayal I'd love to hear it."

"You are going to run. Run out the doors and through the garden. Do not come back. I will tell the Dark Lord you are dead. Flee the country, go to the United States, or Russia, or Japan. Just anywhere but here, please. It was a grave mistake entangling you in this mess. I'm fixing it for you. You are free, my dove." Lucius choked. This was the last thing he wanted. What he wanted was her in his life forever. But he was willing to sacrifice his own happiness to keep her safe. And he hated himself for it, letting this young woman dig a place in his heart and his life because now he had her to worry about and he would never forgive himself if anything even threatened to harm her.

"I'm not...I'm not leaving, Lucius, I refuse and you can't make me leave. I made the decision to save myself so I'm making the decision to stay. " She responded, crossing her arms as she gave a defying smirk. Lucius narrowed his eyes, walking closer to her. His own eyes threatened to spill tears but he continued to keep a collected expression.  
"I will drag you out of this manor by your ear if I have to. I'm sorry but this is over. Now get out of my sight."

She wiped her wet eyes with the palm of her head, letting out a small sniffle. Lucius felt a pang of guilt but pushed it down inside of him. "Go fuck yourself, Lucius. Because I don't get to anymore. Don't write to me, don't come find me, if you're seriously kicking me out even though I did nothing to deserve this then so be it. We're done!" Katherine yelled before storming out of the front door of the manor. Finally letting herself let a tear fall, she slammed the doors, Lucius flinching as they crashed shut behind her. Katherine was alone, and she felt herself shiver as the cold night air hit her cheek. Achilles trailed behind her, barking at her heels as he trampled on the cool grass.

The hedges at Malfoy Manor were reminiscent of the maze she saw at the Tournament. Why did Lucius have to kick her out in the dark, anyway? Normally they apparate out of the manor, and Katherine had no idea where she could go or how to even leave the front lawn. Glancing around to observe her surroundings, she tried to navigate her way through the tall hedges and garden sculptures. She wasn't scared, just lost and nervous. Shadows seemed to follow her and she could swear she was seeing shapes against the moonlight.

"What do we have here?"

Katherine stopped, her head spinning around as she surveyed the garden around her. The woman's voice came from nowhere, and she couldn't see anyone around her. Assuming it was her imagination, she shook off her worry and continuing heading out of the garden.

"Come here, pretty. Let's play a little game..."

She stopped again, this time seeing a flash of light pass her. Achilles howled and took off towards the manor, barking at any shadows he saw. "Achilles come back!" she cursed to herself as her dog disappeared into the hedges. Looking behind her, she saw a figure of a woman standing in the shadows. She could see the woman was holding what appeared to be a crooked wand in her hand, a nest of black curly hair waving in the moonlight. Even though her face was obscured, Katherine had seen that silhouette in the newspaper days before. Taking a step back, Katherine placed her hand on her wand. "I know who you are...you're Narcissa's sister Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Aw, how sweet. You know who I am. I've heard a lot about you, you know. What, are you trying to escape your promise to the Dark Lord?" Bellatrix laughed, walking slowly towards the other woman. Katherine drew her wand pointing it in front of her.  
"No, he didn't. I'm just taking a walk in the garden, that's all. I think Narcissa is expecting you-"  
Another flash of light spewed from the crooked wood of Bellatrix's wand, Katherine ducking to avoid her spell. It hit her own wand, knocking it out of her hand and onto the ground.  
"Don't lie, dearie-I know mean old Luci kicked you out. He probably thinks you're long gone by now so why don't we play a little game of cat-and-mouse?" Katherine stopped, shaking her head. "That's not necessary, really. It was a pleasure meeting you Ms. Lestrange." Bellatrix kept following her, waving her wand around.

"Run."

Katherine immediately took off, winding through the bushes. Every corner Bellatrix seemed to be there, and she would have to turn around and run. Her feet ached, and she just wanted to find the exit and leave this stupid garden and the stupid grounds of the stupid manor she was kicked out of. Every time she stopped to take a breath, she would hear that maniacal laughter and have to bolt again. She just kept running. But the garden was vast and the moonlight was the only light allowing her to see not even three feet ahead of her. The witch was firing spells left and right, Katherine dodging all of them.

Except one.

After what seemed like hours of running, she was struck in the foot, causing her to topple over. Her face slammed into the rough grass, the stinging of scratches causing her to let out a loud yelp. She could tell her ankle was throbbing painfully, and she clenched her teeth as she tried to scramble to her feet. With her injury she could only manage to crawl, the sharp blades of grass scraping at her arms. As she did, she felt the sharp poke of Bellatrix's wand on her cheek. "I win, little mouse." She purred. Katherine was about to give up, stop running. Maybe her death would make Lucius feel guilty for making her leave.

"STUPEFY!"

Her head perked up as Bellatrix was thrown off of her and into the bushes. A loud barking and the trampling of heavy footsteps filled her ears as she saw Lucius and Achilles rush to her side. The white Doberman whimpered as he pawed at her, Lucius kneeling on the grass in front of her. Wincing, Katherine sat up and he placed his hands on her back to help her.  
"Katherine, darling, I am so terribly sorry. Achilles found me and he was barking and howling and nipping at my ankles. I knew something had to have happened." He murmured, pressing his palms against her cheeks. "Oh, Merlin, you are bleeding. Come on, let's get you all nice and fixed up, alright? Narcissa will be out shortly to retrieve her sister. Do not worry, I just stunned her."  
She nodded, letting her head fall against his shoulder. Lucius took a deep breath before picking her up in his arms, Katherine wrapping her arms around his neck. Her green eyes met his silver ones for a second, and at that moment she could tell he was on the verge of tears. Trying to be at least a little consoling, she pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. "My knight in shining armor. Oh, what would this damsel do without you." She hummed. His face didn't move as he solemnly carried her out of the garden back to the manor.

-

Katherine's eyes fluttered open. She was in Lucius's room, she recognized the ceilings and the other surroundings. There were medicinal supplies scattered on the bedside table. Her head was pounding, and as she reached up to tap her forehead she felt a heated pack. Moving her gaze to her feet, her injured foot was propped up on a pillow. It felt better but still was sore and painful to move. She could see her reflection in the mirror in front of her. There were a few scratches on her face and her lip was bruised, but other than that she thought she looked pretty damn good for a girl who outran Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Oh, you have awakened. Good."

She was surprised to hear that the voice belonged to Lucius. Expecting Narcissa, she turned her head and saw him sitting in his chair at her bedside. "Were you watching me sleep?" she teased, trying to prop herself up with the plush pillows.  
"No, I was just waiting here to make sure you woke up," he replied, standing up to grab the bowl of rubbing alcohol and band-aids. He sat down on the bed next to her, reaching over to tuck her rustled hair behind her ear.  
"You don't have to take care of me, you know. You can go. I'll be better by tomorrow and then I can finally leave for good." She mumbled. Lucius shook his head.

"My dove, I'm not letting you leave anymore. As this incident has proved to me, you are not capable of leaving my side." He insisted as he raised his eyebrow, pressing a cotton pad of alcohol to her cheek. She hissed in response, her nose scrunching at the sting. "Do not be such a baby, Katherine. It is only going to sting for a second." Removing the pad from her cheek, she felt his calloused fingertips press a small bandage on her face.  
"I'm not weak, Lucius. I don't really need you to go from my sugar daddy to my sugar babysitter. I'm more than capable to look after myself."  
"No, you are not." Lucius snorted back, rolling his eyes. "Bellatrix almost killed you. You are incredibly lucky I came to your aid when I did or else you would be at the morgue instead of in my bed. Now, I am deciding to let you stay because I realized that you are safer here under my protection than you are out there. Now that Bellatrix knows of this attempted escape, there is no doubt in my mind the Dark Lord knows of your betrayal as well."

"Lucius, you know me leaving was your idea right? Because you couldn't protect me anymore? I believe 'I simply cannot focus on you any longer' were the exact words you used. You're the one at fault here-"  
Lucius paused for a moment before he shot back. "Katherine, I know that. However, I will lose my own standing with the Dark Lord if I reveal to him that I was the one who suggested you flee. So let us get your story clear: You got scared and you decided to run. If you get questioned just beg for forgiveness and say that you acknowledge how idiotic of a mistake it was."  
"So I'm taking responsibility for your shortcomings? Lucius, come on. That's ridiculous. Did you even kick me out because you couldn't bear the thought of having to protect me any longer or is there another reason?"

"Katherine that is enough. For your information, the true reason I let you go was that I could not bear for you to see the person I truly am. For 14 years I was able to fake a sense of normalcy and gain all of the report and respect I had before the war. Now that he's back, I fear I will have to become the old Lucius Malfoy, the one I pressed down so deep inside of me. The Lucius Malfoy that every witch and wizard called a monster when he was on trial. I do not deny the evil things I have done, Katherine. But I have never killed anyone with my own hands. I just fear your thought of me might begin to change and I-"

Katherine leaned as far as she could to press her lips against his. He froze for a moment but finally gave in to return her kiss when she threatened to pull away. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek as their lips moved together. It was soft and made her stomach flutter with butterflies. She just wanted him to know that she cared about him. Adored him. And that she would never ever let him believe he was the devil he thought he was. Pulling her lips away after a few seconds, she let her thumb rest on the center of his lips as if to shush him.

"Lucius I lo-"

"I am cutting you off there. Do not say you love me because you certainly do not. And I will be the one to let you know that out of all the complex emotions I feel for you love, true love, is not one of them." He said coldly, standing up from his seat on the bed. "I have to retire for the night. I shall see you in the morning. I wish you a speedy recovery." After that, he was out. He just walked out of the room like nothing had happened. As if she wasn't laying in his bed feeling absolutely humiliated, tears running down her face. But he had lied to her yet again. It was as if his lies never stopped flowing freely out of his mouth. He despised himself for spewing out such bullshit but he could never tell her the truth.

He loved Katherine more than she would ever know he did.


	18. Pretty Hurts

Katherine couldn't sleep that night. It was partially due to the fact that she had almost told Lucius she loved him, and he had adamantly rejected her. The other reason was the fact that her ankle was still throbbing, and throughout the night she had to wake up to treat it with a sleeping potion so she could at least sleep through the pain. When her eyes fluttered open the next morning, she was in her own bedroom laying underneath her comforter. Lucius had come in to let her know that he wanted her on bed rest for the next few days. She argued back with him which just caused him to get even angrier at her, and he walked out of her bedroom fuming and slamming the door. After that, she had thought it best to sleep off her anger.

"Good morning, Katherine."

It was a woman's voice. Turning her head, she spotted Narcissa sitting at the edge of the bed. Katherine groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked before noticing that her foot was wrapped in a bandage, her toes picking out of the makeshift cast.  
"It's 2 in the afternoon, darling. But don't worry, it's okay you slept in. I do apologize for my sister last night. She won't be threatening you any longer. Lucius made it clear to her that if she dares harm a hair on your head she will instantly regret it. He truly does care about you, you know. Even though your ankle is just sprained he wants to make sure you get better." She mused, running her hands gently through Katherine's hair.

"Narcissa, I'm feeling much better. I don't think having me rest is necessary. I'm a grown woman, I think I can fend for myself." Katherine responded coldly. The other woman shook her head, pressing a gentle kiss on Katherine's forehead.  
"I'm not going against my husband's wishes for you. But I do know you're a woman of strong will so all I can do is tell you to be careful." She hummed before getting up to leave.  
"Can you do me a favor? Would you mind grabbing my parchment and quill for me? I'd like to write a few letters to keep me occupied since I can't leave my bed." Narcissa obliged and grabbed her writing supplies from her desk. "There you go, dear. Now get some rest."

Katherine unrolled the parchment, immediately beginning a letter to Victor. There was no way that she was going to stay inside all day and night. Her ankle was fine, she felt fine, and she most definitely was able to walk. So she was going to be bad and sneak out. Because fuck Lucius. He was being an asshole to her so why can't she be a bitch back?

Victor,  
Got into trouble last night and sprained my ankle. I feel fine, it's healed and all, but Mr. Malfoy wants me on bed rest. Care to help me sneak out? My bedroom is the second window to the right.  
Love,  
Kat

She tapped the window, a beautiful owl flying in. "Victor Redferne, please." She mused as the owl snatched the letter from her hand. It flew out the window just as Katherine heard a knock at her door. "Come in!" The door opened, Abernathy bringing in a tray of tea and biscuits.  
"Mr. Malfoy sends his best wishes. He would accompany you for tea but he is busy at the moment." He said, setting the tray down on Katherine's bed. The teacups were sage green, and next to the matching teapot was a small stuffed cat holding a box of chocolate biscuits. Attached was a note, Katherine ripping off the parchment. Abernathy smiled at her before he exited her room.

Katherine,  
I would like to apologize for last night and this morning. I did not mean to lash out at you. Once you're better, I would like to make it up to you.  
Pleasantly,  
L.M  
So now he wanted to apologize. It was a little too late for that.

-

That night, she stood in front of her mirror smoothing down her soft red dress. She had to admit it, she looked pretty hot. Too bad Lucius wasn't going to see her. Giving herself a quick spray of perfume, she headed towards the window. It quickly blew open to reveal a grinning Victor, who was sitting delicately on a broom with his hand outstretched. "Come on, Kat! Whatcha waiting for?"

Katherine laughed and quickly took his hand, hopping on to the broom behind him. Her hands wrapped around his waist as she clinched on to him tightly. It reminded her of the times they would stay behind after Quidditch games at Hogwarts. Victor was the Hufflepuff seeker, and he would always fly her around after his games against Slytherin. Sighing to herself, she let her head fall against his back blissfully. Lucius was the last thing on her mind.

After a few minutes of flying, Victor landed them skillfully on a small hill overlooking the city of Salisbury. Hopping off of the broom, he took her arm and placed a gentle kiss the back of her soft hand. "Follow me, I have a surprise for you." He whispered as he began leading her towards the very top of the hill. She hopped behind him, giggling as she went. Once they reached the top, Katherine gasped as Victor began waving his wand around.

He had set up a midnight picnic. There was a beautiful blanket laying on the grass. On the blanket was an array of fruits, some french bread, and a variety of spreads and jams. There was also a large bottle of wine and two glasses. It was illuminated by bright candles that were glimmering in the sun. A nearby tree provided more light with small lanterns swaying in the breeze.  
"Victor, you did all this? It's lovely." She said quietly as she and Victor moved to sit down on the blanket, the two of them each grabbing a glass. He just gave her a mischievous smile, pouring her some wine.  
"Anything for you, Katherine. Say, what happened anyways that you needed to get out?"  
She paused before taking a sip of wine. "Nothing really-well not nothing. I had accidentally sprained my ankle in the garden and then when Lucius came in my room to help get me all bandaged up we got into a little fight that's all."

Victor raised his eyebrow, sipping his drink as well. "What were you fighting about?"

"Just-he was telling me some really personal things and then I may or may not have kissed him and went to tell him I loved him and then he may or may not have turned me down." She explained. Victor looked sympathetic, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"You don't love him, do you? Like it was a moment of weakness thing? Kat, cmon. He's 40 something and married, and he has a kid. I don't think he would ever return love for you." He laughed, stopping when he could tell she was getting upset. He sighed and slowly stood up, Katherine letting him pull her up as well.  
"Shh, it's ok. Dance with me." He pulled her into his arms, twirling her along as they continued talking.

"I don't know, Victor. There's just something about him. Like, sometimes he's so charming and affectionate, but other times he's so harsh and acts as he hates me. I just wish he was more open with his feelings." She explained as Victor pulled her into a dip.  
"From what I'm hearing he needs to make up his mind. Kat, you're so young. You need to live and love a little. I don't know, maybe you need to experience someone else to see if you actually love him or if you just love the attention he gives you." He whispered as he stared into her eyes.

Katherine gave in. She leaned up and immediately pressed her lips against his, Victor pulling her up from the dip and into his arms. His kiss was different and tasted of strong wine and honey. It was soft, gentle, and pure. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as her leg lifted slightly in a little 'pop.' They stood there for a moment in bliss before they shuffled their way back to the picnic blanket. Katherine toppled over, the pair laying down with their lips still interlocked.

Victor pulled away to begin peppering kisses on her neck. He was biting and nipping passionately, and when he pulled his lips away there was a large purple mark contrasting against her skin. She knew what was going on. But she didn't care. She let Victor keep going on and on, and in turn, she returned the pleasure he gave her. They spent the whole night on that blanket, eventually falling asleep from exhaustion.

"Fuck, what time is it?" Katherine mumbled, rubbing the back of her neck. It was the next morning, the sunrise shining against the silhouette of the city. She turned to see Victor's eyes flutter open next to her. His shirt was off and to the side next to her discarded dress. There were red lipstick marks on his neck and his hair was messy and ruffled. Katherine studied her own body. She had a few hickeys but that was it.

"I had fun last night, Katherine."

Katherine groaned as the memories of what happened flooded back. She and Victor, all night long. She enjoyed it and she felt guilty for enjoying it. And now that it was sunrise she had to get back to the manor before she got caught by Lucius. Saying a quick goodbye to Victor after deciding they would discuss matters later, she apparated back to Malfoy Manor.

-

She straightened her posture as she quietly opened the front door of the manor. It was still early morning, so she hoped that Lucius wouldn't notice she was gone. The dining room and hallways were empty, which sent a clear sign to her that no one was awake yet. Sighing from relief, she crept past the living room on her tiptoes.

"Ah, Katherine. You decided to go on a morning walk I presume? Or are you crawling back after a midnight rendezvous?"

Shit. Lucius was up. And sitting in his chair staring right at her. Katherine stopped and crossed her arms behind her back innocently. "Oh, I'm sorry. I know you don't like me walking because of my ankle, which is feeling much much better, but I just really needed fresh air." She reassured. Lucius huffed and arose from his seat, immediately walking behind her. He reached his arm around her waist pulling her against him, one hand trailing her neck and collarbone as he pushed her hair back.

"You are a filthy liar, you know. What is this, a hickey? Oh, you're a naughty girl, aren't you...Alas, not one from me. Who were you with last night?" He hissed, his hand moving to tug on her hair ever so slightly.  
"Lucius, it's nothing! I just got so bored alone in my room I decided to write to Victor and he came and visited me last night." She pleaded, wincing slightly.  
"Visit? It must have been quite a visit. Do not take me as a fool, Katherine. I know what you two did. Tell me, was he as good as I? Did he know where to touch you, how to worship your gorgeous body, how to please you? Or was he just a part of your revenge against me?"  
Katherine shook her head. "No! It just happened so fast and I was just mad at you. But you have no room to talk either. If you can have me and Narcissa I can have you and Victor. It's only fair." She tried to reason.

"Ah, forgive me. I am not angry at you. I just get jealous that is all. But I still think you deserve some sort of punishment for sneaking out, hm?" He cooed, letting go of her. He sauntered back to his chair, slipping into it with a smug look on his face.  
He curved his fingers in a 'come hither' motion, Katherine gulping before heading over to where he was seated.  
"On your knees."  
She obeyed, immediately sinking to her knees before him. Her hands moved to his thighs, rubbing the soft fabric of his pants before her hands were slapped away.

"No, darling. This is a punishment, remember? I am going to pleasure myself while you pathetically sit and watch me like a good little whore."


	19. Shallow

"No."

Lucius raised his eyebrow, leaning back slightly in his chair.  
"What do you mean no?"  
She stood up in front of him, giving him a defiant smirk. "I said no. I'm not going to." Immediately she sat down and straddled on his knees, wrapping her arms around his neck. She gave him a taunting, teasing look, one that screamed you lose. He returned her stares with angry, desperate eyes.  
"Not this time. I'm going to go without punishment. I fucked my best friend behind your back and you are just going to deal with it."  
Lucius narrowed his eyes and reached to wrap his long fingers around her dainty neck, immediately stopping when he heard a voice coming from the entry to the living room.

"Lucius, he's arrived," called Narcissa. She sounded nervous, fragile like she was scared of whoever had made his way to the manor.

Katherine scrambled to get off of his lap, smoothing down the fabric of her skirt. She turned to Lucius with a confused look on her face, tilting her head slightly. "Luci, who's the "he" she's referring to?" She inquired. Lucius looked pale, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed nervously.  
"The Dark Lord. He and the other Death Eaters are here to discuss an important matter. Go upstairs and lock yourself in your room. I will have Abernathy fetch you when everything is done." He mumbled, standing up and placing a hand on the small of Katherine's waist guiding her in the other direction. She obeyed and quickly exited the living room, making it halfway down the hallway before she heard a voice calling her name.

"Not today, little mouse. The Dark Lord has specifically requested your presence."

Katherine froze and turned around to see Bellatrix behind her. She was grinning from ear to ear as she grabbed the other woman's arm.  
She was dragged begrudgingly into the dining room which housed a large table. Lucius was already sitting next to Narcissa, and his eyes widened with concern as he saw Katherine enter the room. Bellatrix let go of her, pushing her towards an empty seat next to the Malfoys. She sat down next to Lucius, staring blankly ahead of her. She felt his hot breath against her cheek as he leaned down.

"Katherine I told you to go upstairs." He whispered, his voice simultaneously plagued with disappointment and concern.  
"I was on my way upstairs, for your information. Then Narcissa's sister pulled me and said that He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named requested me specifically. Should I be nervous?" Katherine hissed back. Lucius reached underneath the table to grab her hand in his. His silence spoke for itself, his thumb tracing circles on the girl's hand. She finally took it upon herself to glance around the room. Not every chair was full, but she could see many unfamiliar faces surrounding her.

Except for one.

Directly in front of her sat a single face she so clearly recognized. He wore all black robes, long black hair falling at his shoulders. He was turned to the side talking to another Death Eater next to him, but Katherine could so clearly recognize the voice that was coming out of his mouth. He finally turned his head around, his face falling as his dark eyes met her emerald ones.  
"Professor Snape?" Katherine gasped. He glanced to the side, ignoring her words as he began talking to the man at his side again. Lucius squeezed her hand warningly.  
"Do not worry about him right now. Just wait." He warned. As he said that, Katherine noticed a figure shifting to the seat at the head of the table. Suddenly the seat was occupied by Lord Voldemort himself. Everyone stopped talking, focusing their attention on the front of the room. Voldemort stood up, lifting his hands over the table.

"Ah, welcome to our first official time back together. I am overjoyed to see that my loyal followers have all joined us, although we have a new face among us. Let us all give Katherine Farrington a warm welcome." He said, waving his hands to force Katherine to stand up from her seat. His eyes bore into hers as she shook slightly before him, feeling herself being forced into a bow. "Lucius, your little mouse is going to be of such good use to us. She is to help us find the prophecy.' The other Death Eaters laughed as she fell back into her seat, Lucius grabbing on to her to steady her.

"My lord, whatever do you mean? How is she going to help us? She does not even know of the prophecy." Lucius argued. "Surely you want another one of us to take care of it-"  
Voldemort raised his hand to cut him off.  
"Ah, you see Lucius, she has ties to Harry Potter. Her sister is friends with him and his little band of mischiefs, I presume. She is more useful to me than you think. And again, I offer you great thanks for bringing her to me."

Katherine's heart sunk as she glanced at Lucius, who was squeezing her hand so tightly she was losing feeling. Grumbles flooded the room as the Death Eaters whispered amongst themselves. Voldemort raised his hands again to silence them as he continued with his speech.

"Now now, calm yourselves. I promise you all will play a part in the capture of Mr. Potter. In a few weeks time, we will be storming the Department of Mysteries to acquire a prophecy Sybill Trelawney made about how I will be defeated by Harry Potter. Lucius has informed me that a record of it is kept within the Ministry. I hope that by stealing the prophecy I can acquire knowledge as to how I can avoid my defeat at his hands. Lucius, it will be your job to retrieve the prophecy. The Lestranges, Dolohov, and Macnair will be in charge of keeping the inevitable army Potter will bring with him at bay. And our dear, darling Katherine Farrington will play our trap."  
Katherine glanced up. She didn't dare speak, worried that any words that would come out of her mouth would get her crucioed or killed. Obviously, she didn't want to take any part in this mission, but she had no choice.

"Katherine you play an important part in this game. You see, I will be planting a vision in Harry Potter's head. He will believe that we have and are torturing both you and his godfather, Sirius Black. Surely, he'll tell your sister and she'll beg him to save you too. When he arrives at the Ministry, you will act as if you escaped and promise him you'll lead him to Sirius. Instead, you will lead him to the prophecy where Lucius and the others will be waiting to snatch the prophecy from him." He explained, Katherine shuddering as she saw his yellow-toothed smile.

"I have a question, my lord. How do we know we can trust the new girl? She's not even one of us. Can we be certain she won't betray us and warn Potter beforehand?" one of the Death Eaters spoke out. Voldemort just laughed.  
"Rabastan, don't be so untrusting. I am sure she will follow. Unless she wants Severus to slip a bit of poison into her sister's drink while she's eating the Great Hall. Our potions master knows how to make it look like an accident."

Snape glanced at Katherine with wide eyes but didn't speak out. Katherine just stared at him, Lucius moving his hand to rub her back comfortably. His touch sent shivers up her spine, and she relaxed slightly. Voldemort stood up, his eyes shifting over the table of his followers.

"That is all, my friends. You are dismissed."

-

Katherine rushed through the hallways of the Manor, wanting to get away. She couldn't believe what she was being forced to do. Dread filled her entire body, and she could feel herself losing the ability to breathe. Lucius was nowhere around as he had left with Narcissa. He was the one she needed most, the comfort she craved. Suddenly, she felt an arm grab her and pull her into an empty closet. It was dark and she was unable to see anything around her, the cold air causing her to shiver. "Lumos." She mumbled, and her wand illuminated to reveal Snape standing in front of her.

"Professor Snape, what the fu-" She started before he quickly hushed her with his index finger.

"Be quiet, girl." Snape hissed. "We cannot be heard or else the consequences will be dire." Katherine raised her eyebrow, crossing her arms in front of her.  
"I'm sorry Professor but I'm not interested. I saw you making oogle eyes at me. Go find someone else to fuck in a dreary closet." She snorted in response. Snape put his hand in the palm of his hand shaking his head with annoyance.

"You absolutely are a moron. I am not trying to sleep with you, I am trying to help you. Now, how did you end up becoming a part of The Dark Lord's plan?" he asked quietly.  
"I followed Lucius to a graveyard where he was holding Harry Potter. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named found me and I ended up having to pledge my loyalty to him in exchange for me not dying. I don't think I'm a Death Eater though." She explained back to him. Snape let out a sigh of relief.

"Miss Farrington, I am about to tell you something you can not speak of to anyone. It will result in the death of you and myself, understood?" She nodded in agreement before he spoke again. "I am fighting for both sides. I was chosen by Dumbledore to be a spy for the Order of the Phoenix after the Dark Lord was killed at the end of the war. I am not on his side, and I am assuming you do not want to be on his side either. It is not too late to do the same as me. I can assure you, I will not poison your sister. I just wanted you to know that you are not alone." He said quietly.

"Professor, why are you helping me? I thought you despised me. And how can I know I can trust you?" Katherine responded, biting at her nails. She didn't know if she believed him, but decided that she would hear out his reasoning before making a judgment.

"Miss Farrington, if I was untrustworthy why would I spill my story? You know my deepest secret, you have that against me now. I am helping you because I would hate to see you fall to the wrong side. You may not have been a skilled potions mistress in my class but you were one of the greatest Slytherin students I oversaw. I did not show it but you were a great pride of mine. I know how your parents felt, how you wanted so desperately to be like them. You can still have an opportunity to make them proud." Snape responded quietly. "You know where to write to me if you need assistance. Just know I am on your side."

Katherine nodded, wiping a tear from her eye. All of the emotions she had felt before washed over her, all of the relief and stress and worry came for her at once. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around Snape, enveloping him in a hug. He didn't return her affection, but simply patted the top of her head.

"Thank you, Professor Snape."

-

Katherine finally headed up the large staircase. She was exhausted from the day and all of the new information she had, not daring to even think of what she was going to have to do. But she didn't want to sleep. One thing was on her mind: Lucius. She hadn't seen him since the meeting and she was desperate to finish what they had started that morning. After all, he did the capability to fuck her so hard she would forget the fact her life was falling apart. As she passed by his bedroom door, she was quickly snagged by Lucius, who pulled her into his bedroom like a snake capturing its prey. She was really getting tired of getting pulled around and into random rooms. He stood before her, a look of pure lust dusted on his face, which sent shivers down Katherine's spine as she sauntered over to him.

"Oh, Luci. Where ever did we leave off? I think I was telling you that I was going to go unpunished for letting Victor fuck me." She purred, tracing a line from his cheek to his neck with her finger. He grabbed her wrist with his hand, using his other palm to push on her head. She gasped and sunk immediately to her knees in front of him submissively.  
"You so openly defied me this morning like the little brat you are. I think it is time you relearn your place and get your mouth absolutely wrecked." Lucius hummed, letting his fingers massage the top of her head in circles. She immediately felt a warmth fall over her as she nodded obediently, her hands reaching to undo the buttons on his trousers.  
His pants and boxers sunk to the floor as his long, thick cock dangled before her eyes. She eagerly reached to grab it, but Lucius slapped her hands away. "Not this time. I'm going to put that mouth of yours to good use. No touching." The head of his cocked tapped her lips, and she immediately opened her mouth. He slipped inside of her mouth, letting a groan fall from his mouth.

Lucius began fucking her mouth at a fast pace, his hand so roughly entangled in her hair it caused her scalp to sting. Drool pooled in her mouth due to his size, and she felt some slip out of her mouth. Her hands were firmly behind her back, and she had to use all of her willpower to not reach out and grab onto his length. She was regretting talking back earlier as tears welled up in her eyes. Her throat was getting sore, and as she tried to pull her mouth away to get some air he immediately slammed her head back onto his cock.  
"I can assume Victor did not fuck you like this. Was he as big as me? Did you let him fill your mouth like a whore? You truly are filthy. I bet you thought about me the entire time. I can only imagine all of the dirty thoughts you have when I'm not around." Her head was forced to be tilted upward, and she stared at him with her big doe eyes. He stared back at her, a look of pleasure flooding his face as he grunted.

"Don't wish you had not given me backtalk earlier today? How does it feel to be completely at my disposal? Tell me, do you like it when I fuck your mouth like a slut? Oh, I must have forgotten that your mouth is busy~" he cooed. She just whimpered in response, trying to hide the arousal she felt pooling underneath her. She knew she wasn't going to get anything from him. But horny was an understatement. Her need for Lucius was so strong. Suddenly, she felt his hand tighten on her head. He was close. Hollowing out her cheeks, she was expecting him to release inside of her.

But he didn't. "Close your eyes. I'm going to paint that pretty face of yours," he ordered. Smirking, he pulled himself out of her mouth and immediately finished on her face. She could taste him on her lips, feel him on her face. It was so nasty and she absolutely loved it. Lucius was slipping his pants back on, afterward kneeling down in front of Katherine. He grabbed a nearby silk cloth he had on his desk, tilting her chin up with his thumb as he began gently wiping her face. She stayed silent, still trembling from his brutal face-fucking. His expression was no longer aggressive, it was kind and caring. A small kiss was pressed to her forehead as he finished cleaning her face off.

"You're such a good girl."


	20. Set Fire to the Rain

It was a few weeks after the meeting. Things at the Manor had gone back to an almost weary normal. With Draco still gone for the year, she and Lucius had resumed their previous routines. But neither of them spoke of what was discussed at the dining room table. She couldn't tell if he just wanted to not think of it or if he didn't want to terrify her. Late one particularly cold evening, Katherine sat at a candlelit desk in the library, scribbling a response to a letter she had received from Professor Snape the day prior. She was wearing her nightdress, planning to go to bed right after she was finished.

Miss Farrington,  
I informed Professor Dumbledore of your situation as a precaution in case things go awry. He and I, as well as the rest of the Order, know about you. I urge you to stay vigilant and smart about the upcoming mission. Do not speak of anything to Lucius. Elowen is doing fine, she did very well in her potions O.W.L. You should be proud to have such an intelligent sister.  
Regards,  
Professor Severus Snape.  
P.S: Included is a photograph of members of the Order. Know you can trust them.

She breathed a sigh of relief knowing that her sister was alright and that at least Dumbledore knew she wasn't a traitor. She and Snape had regular correspondence, he would inform her of important things going on and she would give him any insightful information she had obtained through Lucius. It made her feel better knowing that deep down she was doing something good in spite of the bad cards she had been dealt. Just as she was finishing up her letter, she heard the doorknob turn. "Come in!" she called, fanning the wet ink with her hand.

The door creaked open and in waltzed Lucius. He was in his plush bedrobe, his hair pulled to the side to drape over his shoulder. Katherine quickly folded up the letter at his arrival, sealing it with the hot wax she had prepared on the desk.  
"Good evening, Luci." she hummed, hiding the letter underneath a spare book. Lucius stepped behind her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.  
"What are you doing up so late, dove. You know we have a very busy day ahead of us tomorrow." He murmured quietly, moving his large hand to gently run his fingers through her soft hair.

Right. Tomorrow was the day the Death Eaters were storming the Ministry. She let herself lean into his hand, closing her eyes with a soft sigh. "I can't sleep. I'm just a little nervous that's all. What if things go wrong? Lucius, you could get caught and get sent away to Azkaban, or even worse you could be killed. And then what will I do? I'd be all alone." she whispered, turning her head to look up at the man behind her. He paused for a moment before taking her hands in his.

"Katherine, that will not happen. You underestimate the power of the Dark Lord. I can assure you everything will go according to plan." he cooed, pulling her hands to lift her up so she stood before him. "And if it does, you will be safe here with Narcissa and Draco. You truly are one of us now, a part of my family. But please trust me. Do not worry your pretty little head." He pulled Katherine into a gentle hug, and she nuzzled him smiling to herself.  
"Can I sleep with you tonight? I doubt I'd get any sleep alone in my room," she mumbled into his chest. He gave a small sigh, hesitating before nodding his head.  
"I do not see why not. Get the desk cleaned up and blow out the candles, I will be waiting for you in my bedroom." Katherine pulled away from him as he turned to head out of the library door.

Sitting back down at the desk, she grabbed the letter she was writing before. There was a small tapping at the door, and she waved her wand to open it so a large tawny owl could fly in. She had named him Archimedes, a gift from Snape so she could discreetly send her letters to Hogwarts. He perched himself on the edge of the desk, Katherine rubbing his head gently. "Hello, Archimedes. Can you deliver this letter to the Professor, please?" she asked, holding the sealed letter in her outstretched hand. The owl blinked before snatching the parchment out of her hand, wings flapping as he headed out of the window and into the night.

Katherine arose from the chair, licking her thumb and index finger before using them to burn out the candle. The flame fizzled away, leaving her in darkness. "Lumos," she whispered, her wand lighting up as she waltzed out of the library to make her way to Lucius's bedroom. The manor was freezing cold despite it being the summer months. The floorboards underneath her creaked as she made her way up the familiar ornate staircase. Finding Lucius's room was second nature to her, and she had memorized its location and the way you had to turn the golden doorknob just right in order to enter. She stopped right in front of the elegant door for a moment, and it just hit her, the fact that this could very well be the last night she will spend with him. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked into the master bedroom.

Lucius was sitting on his bed propped against a stack of pillows, his glasses-tipped nose buried in a large book. Katherine recognized the title as a muggle book she had to read during her Muggle Studies class in school. "Dracula by Bram Stoker. Luci, are you reading a muggle book?" she laughed, sitting herself down at the edge of his bed. Lucius glanced up with a look of slight annoyance.  
"For your information, Bram Stoker was a muggle-born wizard. He just chose to live a muggle life. Either way, it is a very good novel." he answered shortly. Katherine rolled her eyes and climbed into bed with him, crawling over to his side. The covers and blankets around her instantly warmed her up, and she grabbed one made of black fur to wrap around herself as she leaned into him.  
"Do you want to read to me? It might help me sleep better," she said softly, letting her head fall on his lap. He stiffened as she curled up next to him, his hand finding its comforting place in her silky hair again. She let her eyes close as Lucius began reading aloud to her.

"It will be pleasure and delight if I may serve you as a friend, as a friend, but all I have ever learned, all I can ever do, shall be for you and those you love. There are darknesses in life, and there are lights. You are one of the lights. You will have a happy life and a good life, and your husband will be blessed in you..."

Early the next morning, Katherine woke up to the sun shining through the sheer maroon curtains. She and Lucius had moved positions throughout the night, and she had somehow ended up curled up in his arms with his chin resting ever so lightly upon the top of her head. Letting her eyes take a moment to adjust to the bright light, she waited for a few seconds before sitting up against the bedframe. Lucius was still sleeping next to her, his face now resting on top of a silk pillow. She took a second to sit there and admire him, the way even in sleep he was still handsome. His chest rose and fell with each breath, and for the first time in forever, he seemed peaceful and content. Her hands moved to brush a strand of hair away from his face, his eyes slowly opening as he felt her fingers against his cheek. "Good morning Sleeping Beauty." she teased, and Lucius groaned as he rubbed his face with the palm of his hand before sitting up as well.

Katherine moved to run her fingers through his bedhead hair, a soft smile crossing her face as she leaned over to press a soft kiss on his cheek. Achilles, who had been sleeping at the foot of the bed, eagerly hopped on the mattress and began licking Lucius's cheek.  
"Ah, Katherine, good morning. I do hope you slept well last night. You had fallen asleep right as I was finishing the chapter." he said in a grumbled morning voice, pushing the dog off him. Yawning, he stretched his arms before hopping off of the bed. Katherine quickly followed suit, grabbing one of his silk robes to wear as the manor was even colder in the mornings.

The two of them made their way downstairs and into the dining room. Narcissa was awake, and she immediately grabbed two mugs of fresh coffee to hand to the two of them. Katherine smiled in thanks, her hands immediately warming up from the heat of the ceramic. Taking a sip, she hummed as the warmth filled her body. Narcissa turned to Katherine, and she could tell something was bothering her. "Katherine, may I speak to you for a moment?" she asked quietly, adding a quick "alone" once she noticed Lucius would protest. Katherine nodded as she followed Narcissa out of the dining room and into the kitchen.

"Is something wrong, Narcissa?" she asked. Narcissa took a deep breath, reaching to take Katherine's hand in hers.

"I know very well that things may go wrong today. Frankly, I am nervous about Lucius and if he will be alright. And you, you shouldn't have this on your shoulders but I beg of you, please make sure he gets home to me in one piece. Draco is getting to the more difficult teenage years and he needs his father with him. Just-just promise me you'll try to keep him safe." Tears welled up in her eyes, and Katherine reached out to wipe a stray tear that had fallen.

"Narcissa, I can only assure you that I will do everything in my ability to keep him safe. But at the end of the day, he's responsible for himself. If he fucks up it's on him. But I will make sure that he at least makes it out alive. That's all I can promise." Katherine responded, resting her hand on Narcissa's shoulders. What she said was true-she could only protect him the best she could. But Lucius was headstrong and stubborn and definitely wouldn't respond kindly to her protecting him. After a few moments of silence, Lucius walked into the kitchen and set his mug down on the counter. "Katherine, go upstairs and get ready. It's almost time," he said coldly. She nodded and gave Narcissa one last sympathetic look before turning to head upstairs. Narcissa looked up, her eyes were still glassy with the remnants of tears. Lucius noticed and sighed, pressing a kiss to her lips before following Katherine out of the kitchen. She stood alone now, and she took the two mugs and began washing them with tears running down her face.

-

"Here is how this is going to work," Lucius explained as he and Katherine stood in front of the fireplace. Abernathy held a dish of floo powder in his hands waiting for the two of them to leave. Lucius had on a set of fancy ornate robes, and Katherine was dressed in a high-neck top, a pencil skirt, and stupidly high heels she tried not to wobble in. He continued talking as she stood in silence next to him. "We will arrive at the Ministry and begin walking to the Department of Mysteries. If anyone asks, we are there on secret business. Once we are inside the Hall of Prophecies, I will tie you up and you will wait quietly for Potter to arrive. Remember, he also thinks his stepfather is with you. Once he frees you, tell him that you know where Black is and that you can take him to him. Lead him to the location of the prophecy and let us do the rest. If you mess this up, the consequences will be devastating. Do you understand?" Katherine nodded, and she and Lucius each took a handful of powder and tossed it into the fire. They stepped in, and she took a deep breath as the warmth of the flames enveloped her.

After a few seconds, they stepped out into the large entrance to the Ministry of Magic. She looked around, holding on tightly to Lucius's arm. She felt like everyone was staring at them, wondering what he was doing there with her. Continuing to walk down the hallway, she heard Lucius make a few remarks to people passing by. After what felt like an eternity, they finally headed down an even more mysterious hallway which led to a concealed door.

"Ah, good day Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy's guest." said a guard in front of the door. Lucius just nodded before whipping his wand out, pointing it at the guard.  
"Imperio." The guard's eyes turned glassy, and Lucius just stared as he opened the door to the Hall of Prophecies. Katherine's eyes widened as he pulled her inside, gawking at the room. There were shelves that reached all the way to the top of the blue-tinted ceiling. On the shelves themselves were thousands upon thousands of glowing crystal globes, each one seeming to whisper dark omens. She was totally entranced, and she stopped to stare before Lucius pulled her away. After a few minutes of walking, they stopped at a small clear spot at a cross-section of hallways. Lucius turned to her, taking her hand and leading her to the center.

"Here, sit down. Unfortunately now is the time I tie you up," he said quietly. She obeyed and sat down on the cold concrete below her, her body illuminated by the blue light of the room. Lucius kneeled to her level and took her hands together, tapping his wand on her wrists so that ropes appeared to bind them together. He did the same to her ankles, looking almost sympathetic as he did so. She didn't mind the feeling of the cold ropes on her skin, in fact, she thought the prospect was kind of hot. Once he was finished, he stood up and ran his finger through her hair to mess it up. "Are you at least slightly comfortable?" he asked with slight concern. She nodded as a giant smirk crossed her face.  
"Don't worry, I like it." Lucius raised an eyebrow before chuckling to himself. "Noted. Now I must leave you for a little. Do not forget what I said. The prophecy is right down that hallway. I will see you soon." he responded, leaning down to kiss her cheek before disappearing into the darkness.

Katherine sat there for what seemed like hours. The room, though beautiful, still terrified her especially since she was totally alone. Every slight noise, every whisper, caused her to shoot up and be on alert. The ropes began to itch and scratch at her bare skin, and she winced in discomfort as she hoped that soon she would be freed. Eventually, she heard footsteps and very real human voices approach her.  
"There, there she is!" yelled a familiar voice. Her head shot up as she saw Elowen running towards her. She was followed by 6 others, a girl with long blonde hair, a tall ginger boy, and the most recognizable of all: Harry Potter. Elowen raced to her side, quickly tapping her wand to free her sister from the ropes. Katherine stood up, Elowen immediately hugging her.

"Elowen, why are you here?" she asked, Elowen responding quickly. "Harry said he saw you and Sirius being tortured in his vision. He wanted to save you himself, but we all decided as a group to come together. There is safety in numbers." This wasn't supposed to happen. Lucius said it would be Potter alone, an easy target. But here he was, with a small army of teenagers, one of them being her sister. Katherine turned to her, squeezing her tightly before pulling away. She had a job to do, one that she hoped would ensure her sister's safety.

"Katherine, where is Sirius Black?" she heard Harry ask concerningly. Katherine turned her head, pointing down the hallway Lucius told her to lead Harry down.  
"The Death Eaters took them down there. I think I know where they could be. Follow me." she said as she and the group began running down the hallway. After a few moments, Katherine told them to stop right in front of the prophecy. "Here, this is where I think they took him," she explained. Where was Lucius? Shouldn't he be here? She saw Harry reach over and grab the prophecy, and suddenly she saw a group of Death Eaters appear. Her arm was twisted behind her back as one of them grabbed her, pulling her over to their side. Lucius emerged from the shadows, not even glancing at her.

"Give me the prophecy and no one will get hurt Potter." he cooed. Katherine watched as Harry began arguing with them, mocking them. She could feel something terrible coming, that the plan in fact was not going to work smoothly. And that put herself, Elowen, and Lucius in danger. Her sister stood behind the blonde girl, and she shuddered as she saw the terrified look on her sister's face. She glanced at Lucius, who was still trying to convince Harry to hand over the prophecy. Suddenly she was blinded by a blue light that was followed by a loud crash. The shelves began to sway, and she knew now was her chance to run. Stomping on the foot of the Death Eater that held her, she escaped his grasp and ran to grab Elowen, slipping her heels off as she did so.

"Come on, let's go!" She yelled, pulling her sister away from the group. Her sister pulled and tugged to try to get out of Katherine's grasp.  
"Kat, where are we going? We have to help Harry!" she yelled. Katherine kept running, keeping her sister in her grasp.  
"Ellie, we're getting out of here. Harry has 5 other people with him, I'm sure he'll be fine." Elowen shook her head, stopping and grabbing Katherine's arm.  
"Come on. We can't just leave them. I know you run away from things but you need to fight this time. For me." she begged, gasping for air. Katherine took a deep breath before agreeing. At least she could help Lucius if he needed help. Almost immediately, a bright blue light flew past them, the prophecies beginning to topple over. The two started running again, but in the midst of the light, Elowen was snatched away, disappearing as the light faded.

Katherine cursed to herself, turning to run again before she was blocked by Lucius standing in front of her, gasping as she watched him walk towards her. "Dove, why are you running? It's not over until we get the prophecy. Come on now, do not be scared. This will all be over shortly." he purred, shifting so he was right in front of her. His face was cold, glowing in the blue cast of light that surrounded the room.  
"Lucius, I did my part. My sister, she's innocent, I'm innocent. I just want to get out of here." She pleaded. Lucius narrowed his eyes down at her, grabbing her arm tightly.  
"You silly girl. If you do not see this mission through you will be killed, understand? Now let's go." Katherine glanced up at the glowing orbs before she was suddenly whisked into another room.

In the center of the room, there was a large mirror with what seemed like smoke slithering over the reflection. She was being held back by Lucius, who had one of his hands covering her mouth, and she squirmed in his grasp as she looked across the room to see Elowen and some of the other kids being held back as well. She saw Harry with a glowing orb in his hand. Bellatrix had a nerdy-looking boy in her arms and was threatening to use the Cruciatus curse on him if Potter didn't give in. But Katherine was in such a dazed stupor she couldn't register anything anyone was saying until Lucius spoke behind her, his arm digging into her skin uncomfortably. "Potter, just give it to me. Everything will be alright. You and your friends will return safely, Mr. Longbottom will not be tortured, and Miss Farrington will not have to watch her older sister die." he coaxed, Katherine's eyes widening as she struggled. Obviously, she knew Lucius was lying to hide the fact that she was a part of the plan, but she couldn't help but stand in fear. Just as she saw Harry move to hand over the prophecy, more light filled the room as a group of other wizards appeared.

The Order of the Phoenix had arrived.

Katherine recognized everyone easily from Snape's postcard. There was Kingsley Shacklebolt, Sirius Black, the Auror Alistar Moody (someone who she had respect for ever since her Defense Against the Dark Arts course), and Remus Lupin, who stood next to a woman not on the postcard but Katherine knew anyways, one of her old friends Nymphadora Tonks, the pink-haired woman's eyes widening as she spotted Katherine. "Katherine?" she yelled from across the room. "Tonks?" she yelled back. Tonks was a year younger than her and friends with Victor, which is how they met during their school years. Though they had drifted apart after graduation, Katherine was still in shock. She didn't even notice Tonks stun Lucius, who let go of her as he fell on the floor beneath him. She saw Harry running away with the prophecy and decided it was now or never. She ran towards the other side, before running into Tonks. She began firing spells at Katherine, the woman returning with a defense.

"Katherine, it's surprising seeing you here. I know you're undercover, so just keep blocking what I'm sending at you okay?" Tonks explained. Katherine nodded and kept fighting, the two backing themselves against one of the walls. Then, Katherine noticed Lucius out of the corner of her eye. He had a smug grin on his face, the Prophecy glistening in his hand. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized Lucius had finally succeeded, forgetting to cast a countering spell, and she found herself toppling on the floor. Her eyes were glued to Lucius as Tonks left to battle another Death Eater. Peace was short-lived, however, as she saw Lucius topple over, the prophecy smashing on the floor.

That was the end. Katherine knew they were going to lose. She scrambled to get to her feet, ignoring all of the chaos around her. Lucius had been stunned to the ground and was laying on the floor. Going against her best judgment, she ran to his side and kneeled next to him. "Luci, come on. We have to go before anyone else comes," she begged. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dumbledore appear, and they made eye contact and she could've sworn she saw him wink. Lucius noticed Dumbledore's presence as well and allowed Katherine to help him to his feet.

"We have to run. This is very bad indeed," he said as he drew his wand pushing Katherine behind him, the two slowly backing away towards the exit of the room. She saw Elowen staring at her, a look of disappointment and confusion on her face as she and Lucius fled the room. The last thing she heard was Harry Potter screaming that Bellatrix had killed Sirius. Without a chance to even register guilt, she and Lucius were running away from the battle.

Katherine was sick of running. She and Lucius dashed through the Ministry hallways, officials and off-duty Aurors following them, casting spells and dodging any counterattacks Lucius sent at them. Finally, they reached the fireplace they came in through, and Katherine snatched the floo powder throwing it in the fireplace, pulling Lucius into the flames with her as she shouted "Malfoy Manor!" as they did.

Big mistake. As she and Lucius toppled out of the fireplace and into the living room, they immediately saw a distressed Narcissa. "Lucius, Katherine-what on earth happened!" she yelled, running her hands through her hair. Lucius immediately ran to her, grabbing onto her shoulders and shaking her.  
"Narcissa, get upstairs. We lost. We got caught. We have to get out of here!" Katherine stood by the fireplace, staring at Lucius. He seemed angry, upset, stressed. She had never seen him like that before. As she went to place a hand on his own shoulder, her hand was batted away. "Not now, Katherine. Please," he said softly. Just as she was about to argue, she saw the doors to the Manor being blasted open. In came a group of Aurors along with Lupin and Tonks. They stood in the door frame, their wands pointed directly at Lucius and her.

"Lucius Malfoy, you are under arrest. Hand over the girl and come quietly.


	21. Control

Katherine stared at the people before her. Lucius was to her side watching Narcissa back away towards the stairs. Her heart was pounding and no one was moving an inch. No matter how much she denied it she was terrified because she knew it was the end. Lucius was going to Azkaban. She grabbed his arm holding it tightly as the Aurors finally approached them. "Please, don't take him! I know he was there but he was working as a spy. He never did anything in the first war of his own accord so why-" she pleaded. But it was no use. She was cut off by Lupin interrupting her.  
"Katherine you know that isn't true. Just step aside calmly." She didn't move an inch.

"Stand back, girl!" yelled one of the Aurors. Refusing still to move from her position, she stood protectively in front of Lucius. They were surrounded by angry, ready-to-duel wizards on all sides. She knew she was going to fail, going to find herself hurt. But at that moment she only cared about saving herself and Lucius.  
"Katherine, are you an idiot! It is over, they caught me." Lucius mumbled behind her, trying to push her aside. She reached to grab her wand from her pocket but was quickly hit by a stunning spell from Tonks. The world went in slow motion as she froze. In front of her, she saw Tonks running towards her side, Lucius immediately bolting away in the midst of the chaos. Then she was falling, her head hitting the tile as her vision faded to black...

She shot up gasping for air, her chest rising and falling as she scrambled to stand. It was still light outside and she sighed in relief as she realized it meant not even an hour had passed. The room around her was empty, devoid of Aurors and the man they sought to capture. Her head whipped around frantically before she finally spotted Achilles nipping at her heels. He would be useful. The sound of Aurors still running around the house was all she could hear, searching for Lucius. Katherine grabbed onto her dog's collar quickly as one of them turned the corners, hot on Lucius's trail. Achilles immediately started barking angrily, the Auror standing in a defensive position.

"Get your dog, girl!" He yelped as Achilles prowled closer, his sharp white teeth glistening in the light. Katherine just smirked, her hand tightening the grip on the collar. The man stood still, trying not to move as to not upset the dog. Behind him, Lucius was backing away, and she saw an almost proud smile on his face.  
"Oh, Achilles? He doesn't bite." Removing her hand from his collar, the dog leaped out of her grip. Suddenly, the Doberman was attacking the Auror, and she could hear him screaming "Yes he does!" as the dog bit and tore at the man's clothes. Katherine ran past them, immediately grabbing Lucius by the arm. "We have to get out of here!" she yelled, and he paused for a moment before reluctantly following her.

Glancing around her to make sure no one was around, she and Lucius dashed up the staircase. She could hear the men downstairs arguing amongst themselves about where they had fled. Pulling him through the second floor of the manor, they went room to room trying to find a place to hide. Finally, they stopped right at the door to the master bedroom. Katherine opened it and the pair ran inside and out of the glass doors that led to the master balcony. Just as they were about to turn around, the voices of angry Auror's coming up the steps echoed throughout the hall.

Katherine felt Lucius's hand against her cheek, his thumb resting softly on her face. She glanced up at him and she could tell that he knew he was defeated.  
"Lucius, please. Are you really going to give up now? After everything you've done? Come on, we can apparate away and go live somewhere together, just the two of us! Please, you just can't leave me here all alone, and you can't leave Narcissa and Draco either. Now is not the time to be a coward, damn it!" she argued, begging for him to not surrender.  
"If I flee I will be found. Katherine, I am much safer in Azkaban than I am here. I failed my mission which means I will not be in the Dark Lord's best graces. You are a strong, resilient woman, and I know you can get through this without me. You have an entire life ahead of you. I do hope that this will not be the first time I see your beautiful face or encounter your young spirit. I care for you more than you will ever understand. You have to be brave for me, my dove." After he spoke, he leaned down and pressed a final kiss to her wavering lips.

Her hands pressed themselves to cup his face, her fingers trying to memorize every detail of the calloused skin of his cheek. She couldn't get close enough to him, all she wanting at that moment is time to stop so she could be there on the balcony, in his arms, forever. It was a scene out of a passionate romance movie, the two of them kissing each other against the backdrop of a setting sky. She tried to savor every final moment, letting out a small gasp as Lucius was pulled off of her. In the midst of the moment, she didn't notice chaos erupting around her, Tonks tugging her away as Lucius was held back by a group of Aurors, binds appearing on his wrists and ankles as he started to be dragged out of the room.

"Lucius, I-"

She paused for a moment, unsure if she wanted to continue. She wanted to yell, scream at him that she loved him before he was taken away from her forever. The last time he had denied her, called her a silly stupid girl and dismissed any thought of affection towards him. Would he do the same this time? It could very well be the last time she would see him, and in turn, she could be the last person he speaks to before he got locked up in a torturous prison alone, left to rot from pure despair and insanity. She opened her mouth to finish, to say she loved him, but it was too late. Lucius was gone.

Turning around, she saw Tonks behind her, her hand resting gently on her shoulder. "You did good today, Katherine. Distracting him with that 'please don't leave me, alone daddy' speech. It stalled him enough for us to catch up to you guys. You helped put He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named's right-hand man in Azkaban. You should be proud." she chirped. Katherine brushed her hand off of her shoulder, wiping a stray tear from her face.  
"Yeah, sure," she mumbled before glancing at the balcony, trying to imagine her and Lucius there again.  
"Hey, now that he's gone why don't you come and join us in the Order? Or do you still want to play undercover spy?" Tonks asked. Katherine shook her head, beginning to walk herself out the door.

"I think I'll stay. I have some things to take care of," she responded before shutting the door behind her.  
Taking off down the hallway, she just ran until she found her bedroom door, throwing it open before slamming it shut almost immediately after. She entered her bathroom, leaving the door ajar as she walked up to the large mirror staring at her pained reflection. Her lip trembled as she braced her arms against the white tiled sink, finally letting all her emotions hit her. Guilt, turmoil, anger all flooded into her body at once as she let out a choked sob. She had lost him and it hurt her to know that she might never see him, touch him, speak to him again.

"Do you blame yourself?"

She looked up to see the reflection of Narcissa behind her in the mirror. Her blue eyes were glossy atop red, puffy under-eyes. She had a melancholic look on her face, which made Katherine feel an even sharper pang of guilt in her gut. She stayed silent refusing to answer until Narcissa spoke again. "Darling, this is not your fault. I know you did all you could. Although I do not know what happened I can assume that it was something out of your limited control. What happened is done." "Narcissa, it was going so well. I thought we had it, that everything was going to be okay, Lucius had the prophecy right in his hand...but then the Order showed up and Lucius fell and the orb shattered and I knew it was over. We tried escaping but it was no use." she choked.

Narcissa walked behind her, brushing a strand of hair off of Katherine's face with a gentle hand. "So it wasn't your fault. We cannot live in a state of grief, Katherine. Strong women like us know how to adapt and overcome situations like this. Today we cry, tomorrow we put on a brave face and look the world right in the eye." Katherine fell back against her, Narcissa wrapping her arms around her tightly as the two stood there in a quiet embrace. Two women who somehow had the ability to band together despite loving and losing the same man, two sides of the same coin, Narcissa the doting wife and mother, irreplaceable, Katherine the youthful siren who balanced Lucius out. At that moment she was never more grateful that Narcissa had no ill-feelings towards her.  
Things were going to be very different indeed.


	22. Chiquitita

Empty. Completely and utterly empty.

That was how Malfoy Manor felt without Lucius being there. The patriarch of the house was gone leaving a void in the complex system of the house. Every morning Katherine would wake up alone in her bed thinking maybe everything was a nightmare that had finally ended, still reaching over to feel if he was there only to find cold bedsheets and a bare pillow which confirmed the reality. No letters, no updates, nothing. Azkaban was, to her understanding, much more ruthless and strict than Muggle prisons. She didn't even know if Lucius was still alive. Without the head of the house present, Narcissa had taken over, overseeing everything at the manor. Katherine was allowed to stay, serving as emotional support for the poor woman who had lost so much. 

But not everything was bad. Katherine and Narcissa still had each other, and they became closer than ever before in Lucius's absence. Every night they would take a walk in the manor's gardens hand-in-hand, Narcissa sharing stories of when she and Lucius were in school, Katherine responding with her own tales of her mischievous school years. Once and a while, Narcissa would turn her head to her side waiting for Lucius to add something on only to be greeted with silence. For the first few nights, Katherine let her sleep in her bed next to her so she didn't have to be greeted by a bare bed as well. Evenings would end with soft goodnight kisses and falling asleep clinging to each other, both of them trying to fill the affectionless void. After a while, they stopped mourning and began trying to move on, beginning to lose hope of Lucius ever returning. 

But they were a lonely two, so a few weeks after Lucius was taken away, Draco arrived home from Hogwarts. As he stepped in the doorway with his face expressionless the emotional turmoil that the Malfoys had experienced was obvious. He went over to Narcissa first, embracing her as she had a somber expression on her face. He was tall and towered over, but she still rubbed his back consolingly as any mother would. "Hello, mother," he said quietly, resting his chin on the top of her head. After he pulled away from his mom, he went over to Katherine. And he hugged her too. She was taken aback by it, the fact that despite a year of fighting and arguing and pure hatred for one another, during this trying time they had come together. "I'm sorry for being so terrible to you," Draco mumbled, and Katherine let out a faint laugh. "All is forgiven. I understand why you didn't like me and honestly, I don't blame you," she responded kindly. Forgiveness and unity, something neither of them expected from the other. 

Things were better once Draco was home. Narcissa had her son back, which improved her morale greatly. Draco and Katherine got along for the first time, and she even helped him with his summer assignments. He even seemed less stressed in the absence of his father, which made him more open to showing his emotions with his family. After a while, no one mentioned Lucius at all and he became almost a taboo topic of conversation. He wasn't forgotten, his memory just became painful to discuss. The Malfoys and Katherine all missed Lucius dearly, which was brought them together for the summer. July passed by quickly, and by the beginning of August, they were all laughing together, eating together, trying to shove the looming thought of Lucius in prison into the deepest depths of their hearts. 

But they were soon reminded of their more unappealing responsibilities. Death Eater meetings still continued throughout the end of summer, and Draco was an often brought up topic in light of Lucius's arrest. Voldemort wanted him to be a Death Eater in his father's place. He took his father's seat at the table in between his mother and Katherine, and Narcissa seemed even more worried about her son than ever. Katherine felt helpless without Lucius there, and she began hiding during meetings knowing she wouldn't be missed.   
One of those days she hid in the library. She had avoided that spot for weeks, not wanting to see Lucius's empty desk with the papers he left still strewn upon it. Her fingers wandered over the dusty spines of books on the shelves, finally landing on a wizard retelling of Rapunzel. Before she had a chance to sit herself down in one of the chairs, she heard a tapping on the window and alongside the flapping of wings. She headed over to the window to open up the glass panes, almost toppling over as Archimedes flew inside, a letter clutched tightly in her beak. She reached over to grab the letter excitedly, ripping off the wax seal before unfolding the parchment inside. 

Miss Farrington,   
I am incredibly sorry. I heard of Lucius's arrest a few weeks ago and never thought to write to you. I can assume that you and Narcissa miss him dearly. If you will meet me at my home in Cokeworth as soon as possible, I am in possession of something that could potentially help you see Lucius again.   
Regards,   
Professor Severus Snape. 

Katherine raised her eyebrow in confusion. What could he possibly have that she could use? Azkaban was a max-security, no one was allowed in or out without an important cause. Her head started spinning as she tried to figure out what the letter was saying. Was it the last visit, an escape plan, an invitation to his execution? But she didn't care. All that mattered was that she would finally be able to see him, hear his voice, be in his presence again. Her issue would be finding a time to sneak out of the manor. Just as she was about to begin composing a letter back, the door to the library opened and Narcissa stepped inside. She had a grave, worried expression on her face. Katherine slipped the letter into the inside of the top of her dress before heading over to see what was wrong. 

Narcissa immediately ran over to Katherine, hugging her tightly in desperation. Taken aback, Katherine placed her arms on the other woman's back rubbing consolingly. "Narcissa what's wrong? Did something happen?" she worried, leading her to sit down on the sofa that sat in the middle of the library. Narcissa sniffled, taking Katherine's hands in hers squeezing tightly. "I am worried about Draco. I-I cannot lose him like I lost Lucius. He is my only child, the most important thing in my life, and the Dark Lord wants to take him from me. He wants him to help the Death Eaters break into Hogwarts!" she wailed. Katherine bit her lip, just letting Narcissa ramble on for a moment before pausing her.   
"Narcissa, do you trust anyone else other than Lucius? Maybe you can ask someone to look out for him, someone who can look after him. You are not alone in this, I can tell you love Draco more than anything in this life. I can't imagine what you are feeling." Narcissa's head shot up, and she let a small smile fall on her lips. "You, my darling, are such a smart girl. Have you ever heard of an Unbreakable Vow?" "Yes, I have, we learned about it in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. If one person breaks the vow, the other one dies, right?" Narcissa nodded, pursing her lips together. "I trust one person and that is Severus Snape. He's Draco's teacher, he can watch him while he is at Hogwarts and guide him. We can head to his house tomorrow and I will ask him to be Draco's protector." 

She couldn't believe her luck. She wouldn't have to sneak out to find Snape, she would just follow Narcissa to his house and finally figure out what he had to offer. Narcissa pressed a small peck on Katherine's lips before standing up again. "Thank you, for helping me with this. I do not know what I would do without you," she said kindly before heading out of the library. Katherine tried to contain her excitement as she flopped herself on the sofa. Maybe, just maybe, she would be reunited with Lucius after all. 

-

Katherine followed Narcissa down the dilapidated streets of Cokeworth, their heels clicking against the cobblestone. Their hands were entwined with one another, the older guiding the younger through the dimly lit streets. They weren't alone, however, and the cries of Narcissa's sister shot through the air. "Cissy, you can't trust him! You're making a mistake!" Bellatrix screamed, running behind the other two women. "Bella, enough! I have made my decision." Narcissa shot back as she and Katherine arrived at a small house at the end of the street. She knocked on the door, which was eventually answered by a tall man with greasy black hair. "Ah, Narcissa, Miss Farrington," Snape paused to take a breath as Bellatrix trampled on to the doorstep, "and Bellatrix. Welcome, make your way inside." 

The three women entered the home, Katherine shutting the door behind her before following the others into Snape's living room. It was grungy and gave off a sense of coldness that confirmed Severus Snape was the human embodiment of his own home. He beckoned for the women to sit down, Katherine taking a seat on a stiff loveseat next to Narcissa. The room was surrounded by full bookshelves and smelled of tea, musk, and rare plants. She saw an ugly, hunched-over man come in the room, a Death Eater Katherine knew only as Wormtail. Her nose turned up as he entered the room, standing next to Snape. 

"So, Narcissa. Whatever brings you and your little clique to Spinner's End?" Snape asked coldly. Narcissa moved stiffly, standing up. "I have a proposition for you, Severus. I was hoping we could discuss a matter with Draco," she explained, continuing to describe her predicament and what she needed from Snape, and he nodded along. Katherine shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not wanting to eavesdrop on the important conversation. After a few minutes, she was snapped out of her stupor as Snape called her name. "I will help, Narcissa. Just excuse me for a moment, I am afraid I left the teapot boiling. Miss Farrington, will you help me in the kitchen?" She nodded in response, excusing herself as she followed Snape into the dark kitchen. 

"I'm assuming I'm here because of what you wrote me?" Katherine asked, leaning against the cold countertop. Snape shushed her before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. He handed it to her quietly, the parchment crumpling in her hands as she began reading. 

To Whom or What it may concern,   
Please Allow Miss Katherine Adeline Farrington to enter and visit the Azkaban prison compound. She has been asked to perform a final report and evaluation on Lucius Abraxas Malfoy (Prisoner 537) by orders of the Ministry of Magic Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We believe Miss Farrington is the most adequate witch for the evaluation as she was the prisoner's assistant for years. Please allow her to write up our desired report."  
Signed,  
Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic

"Is this real?" Katherine asked, staring at the letter in front of her. She was going to see Lucius again, even if it was for one last time. She tried to hold back her intense flowing emotions as she folded the letter back up. "No, silly girl. It is not real. I had it forged in order to get you entry into Azkaban. It is incredibly important that you get a story straight and not mess up an alibi." Snape responded coldly. She bit her lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she pocketed the loose parchment. 

"Why? Why are you helping me see him again?" 

Snape stared blankly at her, and for a moment she thought he was going to cry. She knew nothing of Snape's past or his story, but she knew that whatever it was had affected the professor more than she knew. "Miss Farrington, I know more than anyone how it feels to love someone with all of your heart only to lose them despite doing everything in your power, everything you can to save them. I, unfortunately, did not get a chance to say goodbye, which is why I want you to get that chance. Azkaban is a cold, gloomy place and it is only a matter of time until he succumbs to the despair and anguish. Soon he could not even remember your name, or Narcissa's, or Draco's." he told her bluntly.   
She knew that. She knew that Lucius was being tortured, wasting away in the wizard version of Alcatraz. She knew that once she arrived the Lucius she loved would be gone, replaced by a hollow shell. But it didn't matter. She just needed to see him again. And she would tell him she loved him, and that she was sorry, and that if she could she would break the metal off of his bars and let him out so that they could live happily ever after like she so desperately wanted deep down in her heart. 

"Professor, I can't thank you enough for this. How can I ever repay you?" she asked. He shook his head, beginning to prepare the tray of tea. "You can owe me a favor if you so, please. I do not expect anything from you in return. Lucius is and always has been a friend of mine. Just update me, tell me if he is at least slightly alright. And if he ever escapes, try to convince him to rethink his alliance with the Dark Lord. It could very well save his family." Katherine nodded, and she moved next to him to help him with the tea.

Tomorrow she would head to Azkaban.


	23. Evermore

Katherine shivered, wrapping herself tightly in her cloak as she approached the large metal doors covered in runed inscriptions in front of her. It was late afternoon the next day and, after a restless night of no sleep, she finally had the mental strength to head to Azkaban. A large knot of anxiety formed in her stomach as the uncertainty of what to expect once she reached Lucius loomed nearer. The air around her began getting colder and colder as she entered the depressing, lifeless lobby of Azkaban. The walls were a gunmetal gray, only illuminated by a single candle at the only desk in the room.

She approached the front desk, holding up her forged Ministry-ordered visitation form. Her story was simple: She had been approached by the Director of Magical Law Enforcement, and she had asked her to go to Azkaban to study Lucius and to see if he would speak on any information relating to Voldemort's return. Repeating her alibi in her head, she slipped it to the receptionist, who looked almost as dull and lifeless as the prison itself. The woman took the note, shifting her glasses down to the bridge of her button nose. "What is your reasoning?"

"I need to see Lucius Malfoy. Ministry business. I was told you make exceptions." She said coldly. The receptionist tapped her wand on the parchment, which revealed nothing out of the ordinary.  
"Is everything alright with my paper?" Katherine asked. The woman nodded and pointed her to the security office. "The steps begin there. Prisoner 537 should be on the top floor. And surrender your wand here, please." the woman replied. She argued for a moment, but eventually gave up Narcissa's wand that she was allowed to borrow for this specific purpose. No way was she going without a wand. Not when there are dementors. Her own tool was tucked neatly inside a pocket on the inside of her skirt.

Katherine headed towards the winding staircase, shuddering as she felt the coldest wind yet all the way in her bones. As soon as she took a step, the sound of wailing and screaming filled her ears. The damned place was terrible, torturous, and her heart ached at the fact that her Lucius was trapped until he either died, succumbed to madness and despair, or somehow escaped.

The trek up the levels of Azkaban took an hour, the woman almost getting lost as she tried to navigate the triangular-shaped floors. Her cloak was pulled all the way around her, the only sounds being the clicking of her heels and an occasional yelp from a stray prisoner. The hallways were dimly lit as well, every few cells having a single candle outside of it. Finally, she reached the top floor, taking a deep breath before turning the corner. The cell marker next to the iron bars read "Lucius Malfoy, Prisoner 537" on it in large black embossment. She kept her head down, standing in front of the lifeless cell tapping on the cold bars. She could barely see a figure inside, sitting directly in front of a minuscule singular window.

"Lucius." She said softly, pulling down the hood of her cloak, her face becoming illuminated by the candles. No response. She tapped again on the bars, calling his name louder. Still no answer. Getting fearful, she kneeled on the ground in front of the cell, knocking on the bars more aggressively. That's when his head shot up, his sad and dead eyes meeting Katherine's emerald green ones. As soon as he did, her face fell. She couldn't believe the sight before her.

He looked terrible and sickly, and even that was an understatement, the man before her bearing little resemblance to the Lucius she had last seen. He wore a horizontally striped uniform that was dirty with soot and holes. The deep bags under his eyes screamed a bright red as if he hadn't slept in months (Katherine doubted he had ever slept.) His chin was littered with stubble and small scratches, and his normally sleek blond hair was dry and tangled. There were long iron chains attached to his ankles and wrists, and his hands were wrapped up in bandages stained with dried blood.

Katherine's heart sunk, and she had to wipe away a stray tear that was streaming down her face. He had been in Azkaban for no more than three months and the prison had already ripped every ounce of life from his body. He looked down at the ground and Katherine could have sworn she saw a tear splash onto the gravel floor below him. He just looked so sad and pathetic, a stark contrast to the once strong and elegant man she met the year before.  
"You should not have come here. I did not want you or Narcissa seeing me like this..." he grumbled. He was even struggling to talk. He was pulling on his chains, trying to move even half an inch closer to the woman in front of him. She sat herself down at the front of the bars, gripping them in her hands as she leaned as close as she could.  
"I'm here because I missed you, Lucius. Snape somehow got a forged letter from the Ministry saying I'm here to evaluate you or something. He missed you too, you know. We all do."

Lucius just gave her a depressed look.

"I feel like I am missing out on everything important. How is Narcissa, and is Draco alright? And are you are still being safe, I hope."  
"Narcissa and Draco are fine. He doesn't hate me anymore. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named wants him to replace you as a Death Eater, she just worries about him. I'm doing alright. Narcissa let me stay at the manor so I'm still taken care of. It's just lonely without you. Are you holding up okay?" she asked in a worried voice.  
"My dove, this place is the embodiment of hell. Every day I am locked up as if I am not even a human being that feels pain and emotion. I can feel myself slowly going mad, the dementors come every night and just drain me of any joyous feelings, anything I am still clinging on to keep myself alive. The fact that I could die here, alone, without my family here terrifies me. I did not want this to be your last vision of me. I mean, look at me! The great Lucius Malfoy wasting away in Azkaban."

Katherine shook her head, and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to reach over and grab Lucius in her arms. But the metal between them kept them apart. She slowly took her wand out of her pocket, glancing at Lucius.  
"Is there a way to break you out?" she asked quietly.  
"No. Everything is enchanted to be unbreakable. I am afraid I am stuck here until I die. I did receive life imprisonment, remember." he scoffed. She realized she was being quite cruel, trying to give him false hope of ever escaping the wretched place.  
Maybe she was trying to fool herself, attempting to gather together an ounce of hope that she would be with him again. Tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks as she tried to ration with herself out of her hopelessness. But then she felt anger, rage at the fact that he was going to die here and she was still stuck in the middle of a brewing war. She wanted to cry, to scream, to break down, and tell Lucius how much she hated the fact that he had abandoned her. The aura of Azkaban had begun affecting her.

"Katherine."

Her lip trembled as she heard him speak her name for the first time since she came, her eyes shooting up to meet his pained expression. She had never seen him so sorrowful before.  
"Please, do not mourn me. I can assure you I have valued my life, my family, my accomplishments. Think of all of the times we spent together, how much we learned and loved and lost. It hurts, doesn't it? There was so much more I wanted to do with you, to explore with you. Please, continue living for me. And If I ever get out of here I will not be in the best of graces with the Dark Lord. You will not be as protected as you once were. Try to get out if you can, leave and hide. Take Narcissa with you if you can." He begged.

Katherine was crying now, angrily wiping tears off her face. "Damnit, Lucius! You were supposed to protect me. You were supposed to be there. How am I supposed to do this without you? Yes, I have Draco but he's only a kid and doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. And Narcissa is so stressed about you already. And I really fucking hate her sister and I'm so scared because now I'm alone. The war is starting, I can tell the Ministry is going to fall, and I'm in the middle of it because I decided to blindly follow you!" She cried, burying her head in her hands. The air around her was almost freezing, and a few candles around the cell simmered out.

All Lucius wanted to do at that moment was reach out, hug her, envelop her and be the protector she needed him to be. He knew it was his fault. He was the reason she was now stuck in this mess. "Katherine, look at me. I cannot stress enough..how sorry I am. You are my light. Every day I sit here rotting away and the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of you. But every day I curse myself because I-Lucius Malfoy-was a selfish bastard who put his own needs before you. Because I was never supposed to care. You were supposed to be disposable. But back at the cemetery, when the Dark Lord had threatened to take your life, I was about to risk my life to save yours. That is why I risked lying. And I felt so stupid, so ridiculous because you were never supposed to make me care about you. I see it was a weakness of mine, developing feelings for you. My darling, you are one of the most important people in my life. You have brought me more joy than I could ever ask for. Katherine, I need you to know that, whatever happens, I truly do love you. I should have told you that the night you said it to me first but I was a coward." He took a pause to catch his breath before saying what Katherine so desperately wanted to hear from him.

"I love you."

Before Katherine could respond, she felt the air around her thicken and freeze, shivering as she pulled her cloak up above her head. Her head turned to glance down the hallway and she almost fainted from shock. A shadowy figure floated down the halls, a grotesque skeletal arm extended in front of it. Her emotions intensified as the creature floated nearer. "Katherine, it's a dementor. RUN!" She heard Lucius yell, collapsing on the floor of his cell as he began coughing. She could tell it was coming for him, to attack him, to suck out his soul and any ounce of joy he had left.

Immediately, she stepped protectively in front of the cell, and she could hear him choking out her name behind him as she began feeling dizzy, wobbling on her feet as she stumbled into the cell bars, the metal clanging at the impact. The dementor crept closer and she quickly fumbled to get her wand out, holding it shakily in front of her. But it was no use: The dementor finally reached them, stopping in front of Katherine. As her body turned ice-cold, her mind starting playing the most frightening moments of her life.

"Your mother and father died, Katherine. You're to move into your aunt's house at once."  
She stood at the remains of her old home in the countryside, holding a crying Elowen in her arms, her sister being just a baby no older than 9 months. Just hours before, her parents had perished at the hands of a Death Eater seeking revenge and punishment. She had come home from playing in the meadow with Elowen to find Ministry officials at whatever remained of her house after it had been blasted to bits. How would she explain this to her? That her parents died at the hands of the most notorious dark wizard the magical world had ever seen.  
That's when she vowed to never be like the disgraceful Slytherins that joined the Dark Lord. She would be different, she would prove that there were good-hearted snakes who despised the reputation their house had gotten. And she would protect her sister, the two of them being the last living Farrington children.  
"Elowen, I will protect you. No matter what."

Katherine collapsed onto the floor as the dementor come in closer to her, her breathing heavy as her vision faded in and out. All she felt was anguish and distress and pure, raw pain. Lucius was thrashing now as he yelled her name as loud as he could, his face turning blue as he began trying to break his chains to get to her. He knew it was no use, that he would never get free. He was useless. Suddenly she snapped back to reality, grabbing her wand from the floor next to her somehow gathering enough strength to stand. With a strong wave of her wand, she closed her eyes and tried to think of the happiest memory she could conjure in her mind.

"This way, Kat! Come on!" a younger Victor yelled, pulling a preteen Katherine's arm into the Hufflepuff kitchens. It was late evening at the beginning of November, the night before Katherine's birthday. Tonks was already there balancing three cups of pumpkin juice in her hands, giggling as the three 12-year-olds sat on the kitchen counter. Two house-elves brought them a tray of cakes, pastries, and chocolates which were soon devoured by the kids.  
"You guys are so nice," Katherine mumbled, her mouth sticky from a honey cake she had eaten. "I don't know many Hufflepuffs that would sneak a Slytherin out of the dungeons to celebrate a birthday."  
Tonks hugged Katherine, Victor rubbing his hands in her hair messing it up.  
"Aw, c'mon Kat. I know you're not one of those mean Slytherins. You're different." Victor laughed. The clock on the wall struck 12 midnight.  
"Happy Birthday!" they sang, Tonks smushing a leftover cupcake on Katherine's cheek causing her to blush. Victor laughed in his hand before kissing her on the cheek. It was warm and friendly and made Katherine's little heart swell. Her first crush.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A shimmering blue Friesian horse emerged from Katherine's wand, shielding her and Lucius from the dementor as the Patronus bucked upwards. The horse let out a loud neigh, the dementor making a shrill noise and backing away into the shadows. Katherine held her position, the blue light almost blinding her as the dementor finally hissed one more time before flying away. The air around them warmed up slightly, and Katherine fell to her knees almost fainting, exhausted. Lucius breathed heavily, still struggling to try to get to her like he so desperately wanted. He was able to strain the chains almost all the way to the edge of the bars, leaving just an arms-length space.

Katherine eventually stood up, trying to not topple over as she tried to regain her balance. Her head felt lightheaded, dizzy, almost like she was in a dreamlike stupor. A splitting migraine caused her to wince, her hand shooting up to her forehead. Lucius tried to get her attention, yelling her name again. He couldn't believe she saved him.  
"Katherine, snap out of it! You have to leave immediately. Whenever one dementor comes, others follow. It is their feeding time now. Please, do as I said before. Narcissa's family used to own a small cottage in Normandy. It is empty and should be in decent condition, she will know where it is. You should be safe there until things blow over. I need the women I love safe, that is the only thing I will be able to cling on to in here." he begged.

Katherine quickly snapped her head around, staring intently at Lucius. She tried to memorize every inch of him, every line on his face, every wrinkle near his eye, every speck of blue in his grey eyes. Because that would be the last look she would ever get of him, she finally had the courage to tell him what she had been dying to say since she met him.  
"Lucius, I meant to say I love you too. I don't know what kind of love, if it's lust if it's just me ravishing in the affection and attention you gave. Or if it's romantic or sexual or just me realizing I cannot live without you. But it's love, nonetheless." she whispered, shimmying the tips of her fingers between the bars wanting to touch him one last time. His face softened and he reached out to try to grab her hand. But he was just an inch too far. Their hands didn't reach, Lucius trying to do everything he could to move closer only to fail. Katherine pulled her hand out from the bars, sniffling as she uttered one last goodbye.

"Goodbye, Lucius, with as much love as I can give you."

And then she was running, running as fast as she could away from his cell, holding back tears as she just focused on getting out of the dreary place. She could hear even louder wails as she saw a few dementors feeding on unlucky inmates, trying to stay quiet as she dodged them. The journey down from the top of the prison seemed to take a shorter amount of time, and she eventually reached the bottom of the staircase, running into the lobby.

The receptionist had left, a sign on her desk reading "Out for Dinner". Katherine waved her wand at the drawers, Narcissa's wand flying out of a random drawer into her hands. The doors swung open as she approached them, and it wasn't until she was outside and away from the confines of the prison that she finally felt like herself again. She stepped towards an empty soda can she had left on the ground, a Portkey that would take her back to Malfoy Manor. Her hand grabbed it, and she was soon circling in the air before she landed at the steps of the manor.

She collapsed on the stone porch, the turmoils of the day catching up to her.


	24. Doin' Time

Narcissa removed a large golden key from her dress pocket, slowly inserting it into the matching keyhole before turning the knob to let her and Katherine into the isolated cottage.

They had decided, after Katherine's return from her Azkaban visit, that it would be wise to listen to Lucius and distance themselves from the chaos of the Manor and of the war, at least until Draco returned from his year at Hogwarts. Narcissa, confident that her son would be safe underneath Snape's watchful eye, was comfortable enough to agree to stay at her family's old vacation home on the shores of France as long as the professor promised to write with any updates.  
Katherine stepped into the foyer with Achilles trampling behind her, setting down her suitcase on the hardwood floor. It was a small yet elegant cottage, with overgrown ivy on the outside brick walls and speckles of dust in the interior from years of uninhabitance. Narcissa clapped her hands together, letting the door shut behind her.

"Well, it definitely needs a bit of love and cleaning. Katherine, dear, can you find a rag and maybe some other cleaning supplies so we can at least get the dust off of the surfaces?" She asked.  
Katherine nodded and stepped into the kitchen, opening up a random cabinet and grabbing a dust rag and some (probably expired) cleaner. She squealed as a mouse ran by her, Achilles immediately growling and chasing the rodent around the room.  
"We should have gotten a cat," Narcissa mumbled as Katherine handed her a dust rag. She waved her wand, setting the material flying around the room cleaning every dirty surface. The house was looking better already.

It took the entirety of their first day at the cottage, but the two women had made the space a perfect home. They had changed the moth-eaten curtains to billowing sheer ones, the bedding was changed to bright sage green, and the windows were left ajar to let in the salty air. And on the top of the fireplace, right in the center of the living room, was a framed photo of Lucius Malfoy. It was a getaway, a distraction from the events going on in the world. After a trip to town to buy some groceries, Katherine was in the vintage kitchen, stirring a bowl of frosting for a batch of cupcakes that were in the oven. Narcissa walked up behind her, wrapping her arms around Katherine's waist playfully.  
"You are stirring it too slow, dear." She mumbled, placing her hand on top of Katherine's. "You have to go quick or else it won't mix properly." Narcissa kept one hand on Katherine's waist, her other guiding the spoon to mix the frosting for her.

"Thanks, Cissa. I didn't know that I had moved in with an expert baker." Katherine smiled softly to herself, letting Narcissa finish the frosting just as the oven dinged to signal the baked cupcakes.  
Katherine walked over to the oven, grabbing a towel before opening it and pulling out the cupcakes, the smell of strawberries and vanilla filling the room. She set them down on the countertop, Narcissa walking over with the bowl of frosting and a spatula.  
"Did you bake a lot as a child?" She asked quietly, grabbing one of the cupcakes to begin frosting it delicately.  
"Yeah, I did. My aunt and I made loaves of bread and cakes and cookies all the time. She didn't have a lot of money, you know. Me and Elowen came from the wealth on my father's side, but my aunt was my mother's sister and the Winslows were like the Weasleys." Katherine responded, grabbing a spoon off of the counter to dip it into the frosting bowl. "What about you, Cissa. What was your family like?"

Narcissa paused for a second, an almost pained look crossing her face. "It was like any traditional Pureblood witch's childhood, I went to Hogwarts and came home for the holidays. I had two sisters, you know Bellatrix, and Andromeda-well she, unfortunately, is not a part of the family anymore. She married a mudblood named Ted Tonks, and they had a daughter Nymphadora. Well, mother hated that so she burned poor Dromeda off of the family tree. Bella and I got lucky, we married purely." she responded sadly, setting a newly-frosted cupcake down on a plate.

"Do you really believe in the whole blood-supremacy thing? Like, are we really better than anyone else just because we don't have any Muggle blood?" Katherine asked quietly. "I know for a fact that when I-if I get married that I'll probably end up with a half-blood or a Muggleborn."  
"Darling, magic is something we as witches have been gifted with. It is a sacred gift, and the very existence of Muggles threatens us as a community. In the beginning, we were never supposed to let muggles find out that they lived on the same earth as witches and wizards. But then magic began marrying muggle, and suddenly we were assimilated. You surely are no stranger to the judgment and way those who do not possess our gifts look at us, fear us, secretly wish for us to perish. That is why we have blood traitors, those who do not seem to understand the dangers of letting our existence become known to the public. It is not about superiority despite many wizards-including my husband-thinking it is. It is about safety and secrecy." Narcissa explained, taking Katherine's hands in hers rubbing circles with her thumbs comfortingly, trying to ignore the evident discomfort of the air.

She was not surprised that Narcissa had inherited idealist views much like her family and Lucius. In the eyes of the pure, Katherine's own family could very well be considered blood traitors like the Weasleys or the Longbottoms. Narcissa sighed, leaning over to press a small kiss on Katherine's lips, letting her own lips linger before pulling away.  
"Why don't you go take a bath and get some sleep, dear. Tomorrow we can go to the beach, maybe explore the town. I will clean up the mess." She said softly. Katherine nodded, taking a cupcake before heading up the steps.

There were a few bedrooms upstairs, Katherine opting for the one with a balcony. As she stepped inside the room, it felt familiar to her. Then she remembered, the hotel room with Lucius and the balcony and the hot tub and the lustful kisses. Flopping on the bed, she let out a sigh as she stared up at the ceiling fan before grabbing a long pillow next to her, clinging to it tightly as she closed her eyes.

She missed him.

-

The next morning, Katherine and Narcissa headed to the beautiful beach. The shores, though rocky, were still ideal in the mid-60° weather, a stark contrast to the cold rain of England. They were the only beachgoers that day, Katherine suggesting they lay down the blanket and towels in the shade of a large tree. The women looked cute, wearing billowing sundresses and cat-eye sunglasses.  
"I bet the water is freezing," Narcissa mumbled to herself, slipping her sundress off to reveal a red retro swimsuit underneath. Katherine blushed, taking off her dress until she was standing in a neon sporty-cut bikini of her own.  
"Wow, Cissa. You look absolutely gorgeous." Katherine laughed, taking Narcissa's hand in hers to drag her towards the water. Narcissa smiled back, following her into the cold ocean.

"It is freezing, like I said before." She shivered, her toes dipping into the water not venturing any further. Katherine was already knee-deep in the ocean, splashing around playfully, Narcissa wincing as she got the freezing water splashed on her. Katherine dived into the water to get her hair wet, coming up for air after a few moments. When she did, Narcissa had moved towards her spot, standing directly in front of her.  
"I can see why Lucius liked you so much. You are so beautiful and youthful and high energy, like a phoenix. Anyone, including myself, would be enamored by you." She said quietly. Katherine grinned, wringing her hair out as she moved closer.

"I'm just saying, Cissa. If we share Lucius, Lucius can share us. Hasn't that been the intention since I moved in?"  
And then Narcissa had her hands around her waist, their foreheads pressed together as they shared their first kiss of real passion. Hers were softer, more caring than kisses from Lucius. It wasn't a rough kiss, a dominating kiss, it was a kiss as equals, two women who had lost so much but found love in each other.  
Narcissa was the first to pull away, smiling as she took Katherine's hands in hers squeezing them tightly. "I know it is so hard, losing Lucius. But at least I still have you." She said quietly, shivering slightly.

"Come on, let's get out of the water," Katherine suggested, the two making their way out of the ocean and onto the beach. They walked over to the blanket, sitting down on the patchwork fabric, Narcissa wrapping a towel around her and Katherine as she leaned her head against her shoulder.  
The two sat together for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying their picnic and the view of the crashing waves. At one point, Katherine had ended up underneath Narcissa, the woman pressing open-mouthed kisses all along her bare torso and thighs leaving marks of red lipstick on her skin, intending on continuing once they had gone back to the cottage for the night. She was so different than Lucius, a much gentler and loving partner. As soon as the sun began setting, they were headed back to the small cottage, tired from the day of swimming and activity.

As they approached the home, Katherine noticed a dark figure standing on the porch. She took a step back, putting her arm in front of Narcissa guiding her to stop. She took her wand out, whispering "lumos" to illuminate the figure. It was a man, wearing torn striped clothes, long messy hair flowing down his back. He was shaking with bruises and cuts scattered on his body, some still bleeding. Katherine almost dropped her wand at the sight, tears welling in her eyes.

A trembling, weak-looking Lucius stood on their front doorstep.


	25. A Million Reasons

The two stood in shock before Katherine walked over to the illuminated porch.  
"Is that-" Narcissa started before Katherine shushed her.  
"Lucius? What are you doing here?" She asked as they reached the porch. He turned around, his under eyes painfully red and swollen, a look of unease and weakness on his face. He stumbled towards her, holding his hands out as she grabbed on to him. He was frail, fragile, barely recognizable. It shattered her heart to see him in that state.  
"There was-there was a mass breakout at Azkaban. The Dark Lord freed us all. I had assumed I could find the two of you here." He whispered, Katherine holding on to him as he struggled to stand. She couldn't believe it was him, someone she thought she would never see again right in front of her. It was as if he came back from the dead.

"Cissa, can you open the door please so we can bring him inside?"  
Narcissa nodded and slowly pushed the cottage door open, Katherine pulling Lucius inside as she led him towards the living room. She sat him down on the sofa, grabbing a blanket to wrap around him gently. Her hand moved to gently stroke his cheek, her warm palms beginning to heat up his icy cold skin.  
"I can't believe you're here." She whispered, letting her thumb trace circles on the curve of his face. His grey eyes stared at the ground below him avoiding her gaze.  
"Katherine, dear, can you come into the kitchen for a moment?" Narcissa asked from the doorway.

She nodded, standing up to walk into the joined kitchen. Narcissa stood by the sink, nervously peeling an orange.  
"Cissa, is something wrong?" She asked quietly. Narcissa bit her lip for a moment before setting the fruit back down on the table.  
"How can we be sure it is him, and not someone who used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate him? Think about it, we technically disappeared. Who knows who could be after us. And him coming back from Azkaban, of all places? It seems incredibly suspicious." Narcissa mumbled, pulling out a plate from the cupboard before beginning to cut up strawberries.  
"We have to ask him to tell us something he alone would know. I don't know, maybe like a secret you two have, or something he's said to us in private. I don't think anyone impersonating him would know all of his personal information." Katherine responded, glancing into the living room. Lucius was just sitting there silently, gazing blankly at the floor still. Katherine slowly stepped into the room with him, walking over to him before kneeling down to match his gaze.

"Luci, can you do me a favor? Can you tell me something that only me and you would know?" She asked quietly. Lucius looked up at her with cold, empty eyes that showed no ounce of warmth behind them.  
"It will be pleasure and delight if I may serve you as a friend, as a friend, but all I have ever learned, all I can ever do, shall be for you and those you love. There are darknesses in life, and there are lights. You are one of the lights. You will have a happy life and a good life, and your husband will be blessed in you...that was the first line I had read to you the night before we stormed the Ministry." He recited, falling back against the sofa. Katherine smiled, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek. But he stopped her, his hand pressing against her cheek solemnly. She bit her lip, stiffening before standing up.

"Luci, why don't we go upstairs so you can rest a bit?" She offered, offering him her hand. He took it slowly, standing up, his balance somewhat regained. She led him towards the staircase and up the steps as gently as she could. Luckily, her bedroom was the first room on the second floor. Gently pushing open the door, Katherine guided Lucius into the sunlight room. Sunlight, something she knew Lucius had not seen in ages.  
"Here, let me at least get you cleaned up," Katherine mumbled as she pushed him gently to sit on the edge of the bed. She went into the bathroom, grabbing a muggle first aid kit from the medicine cabinet before coming back into the bedroom. He was staring at his reflection in the small mirror next to the bed. Once he heard her approach him, his head quickly snapped back to her, his stone eyes glassy.

"Is that truly what I look like now?"

Katherine's face fell as she saw him. Even it was hard for her. Despite her seeing him in Azkaban just weeks before, he still looked worse for wear. It must be difficult for him, she thought to herself, for the once elegant, boastful man to be reduced to a shell of his former self. Lucius was prideful, one who she knew always took pride in his appearance. But here he was, ragged in ripped clothing. But now he looked old, weak like he was made of glass.

But she loved him just the same.

She frowned, sitting herself down next to him on the bed, grabbing his hands in hers tightly. "Do not think of yourself like that. You have survived hell on earth. Soon enough you'll heal and be back to normal, love." She whispered softly, slowly reaching to unbutton the Azkaban prison uniform he still wore. Her hands worked diligently to undo the buttons before slowly sliding the shirt off of him. His bare chest was littered with scratches, bruises, and little deep cuts that would eventually fade into scars of lightning.  
Biting her lip, she reached into the first aid kit and took out some rubbing alcohol, gauze, and bandaids. Despite being a witch, she wasn't a Healer and had no idea what spells would help and what spells would do more harm than good, finding it safer to just treat his injuries the old fashion way. Dipping a cloth into some alcohol, she gently pressed against one of the wounds on his chest causing Lucius to wince.

"Luci, you're fine. I'm trying to be as gentle as I can." she doted back, removing the cloth to put a large band-aid on the wound. She continued to treat the various injuries on his body, Lucius soon sporting around 10 band-aids and one wrapped wrist.  
"There, all better." Katherine smiled, tucking the medical supplies back into the first aid kit.  
"I am telling you, there is something seriously wrong with you nursing a grown man back to health like I am some wounded deer," Lucius grumbled. She glared in response, her arms crossing in front of her. She knew his pride would catch up to him.  
"Yes, there's something so wrong with me deciding to care for you after you came home from what is essentially a torture chamber. For Merlin's sake, I'm only trying to help!" She snapped back. "Can we please not argue about this right now. Is the fact that you sit here in front of me, practically wasted away, not enough for you to realize I just want you back."

Lucius opened his mouth to say something but reluctantly shut it once he saw Katherine's dagger-like glare. He watched her grab a hairbrush from the vanity counter before she moved to sit behind him. He stayed silent, not wanting to upset the poor woman more than he already had. He just hated being babied, hated the way that he was not her protector but her protectee. It never should have come to that, her having to worry over him and see him in his depressing, solemn state.  
The brush slid through his long hair, getting caught in tangles almost every time. Katherine hummed to herself as she tried to be as gentle as possible, but once and while he would yelp if there was a particularly stubborn knot. As she made her way towards his side, she noticed what she thought was a speckle of grime on his neck. Furrowing her eyebrows, she licked the tip of her thumb beginning to rub roughly against the stain. But it didn't come off. She moved closer to inspect his neck, seeing that it in fact was not dirt. It was a tattoo of his Azkaban number, a permanent reminder of the time he spent locked away.

"I can't believe they did this to you." She mumbled, brushing a strand of hair over his neck to cover the tattoo. Despite knowing deep down it was his fault, she just couldn't believe that the only wizarding prison was such a horrid and cruel place full of so much death and despair. She decided she wouldn't give him any more trouble, that tonight was going to be about him and making him realize she was still very much in love with him. Gliding the brush through one last knot, she gently placed her lips on his forehead pressing a small kiss on his skin.  
"Looking better already," she said, her tone optimistic and back to a cheerful song.

"Now why don't you go take a nice, warm shower?"

-  
Lucius, of course, refused to shower alone. Not when he had endured so much time by himself. All he wanted was for all of his moments, all of the time he had for the next hours, days, weeks, months, to be spent in Katherine's company. Because she was one of the lights in his life, a beacon of glimmering hope that maybe, just maybe, after the second war was over and if he even survived said second war, that she would stay a part of his life.  
But for now, he was standing underneath the showerhead, water dripping down his bare, scarred skin. Katherine stood in front of him, letting the water flow over her. She pretended that they were in Bali underneath a beautiful cascading waterfall, sharing a romantic beachy moment instead of being crammed together in a small glass shower. Her eyes glanced over every bare inch of his body, wanting nothing more than memorizing it in her mind.

"I missed you." She said quietly with teary eyes. She hadn't let herself cry, not when she knew he already felt terrible about himself and the situation. But here he was, in the flesh, with her when she thought she would never see him again. His hand gently rested on her shoulder causing her to shudder.  
"I missed you more than you shall ever know, my dove. You have stood by my side despite everything that has happened. Why is that?" he asked her.  
"Because I love you, Lucius Malfoy. You heard me almost say it after Bellatrix attacked me and you heard me say it when I was visiting you in Azkaban. I have fallen for you, a married man." She laughed, a stray tear falling from her eye, sitting on her cheek for a moment before it became mixed with water droplets.

"Stay with me," Lucius said quietly. Katherine looked up, confused. She was already staying with him. "After the war, after everything, stay with me. If we survive this I want you by my side. I know this was only supposed to be temporary but you can still set up your little shop and become a famous designer, just like you have always wanted. Would that not be wonderful? And you can stay with me, stay with us. You belong with the Malfoys. You are, my dove, one of us now." He whispered.

She paused for a moment, replaying his offer in her head. It tempted her, staying with Lucius, living the rest of her life in luxury and excess. But her mind trailed to Victor and her dream, the reason she was affiliated with Lucius in the first place. It was all for her to eventually gain independence and finally live her life the way she wanted it to be. One side of her wanted to be in this triad relationship with Lucius and Narcissa (despite her knowing deep down that he would never love her as much as his wife), the other side of her wanted her own husband, her own family. Lucius was a charmer, a seducer, something she simply couldn't have all to herself.

A sudden kiss sealed her fate. Her soft lips met his, his hands resting on the bare skin of the small of her waist. She pressed against him, finally feeling the hot energy between them again. She knew then and there she could not leave, that he had an influence on her she could never be free from. He had her trapped and he would never let her go, not when she was his muse, his beacon of all the good in the world.

And she loved being trapped.


	26. Call Out My Name

Lucius looked better and better every single day, and the fact Katherine took care of him absolutely helped his morale. With winter and the holidays approaching, Narcissa had returned home to the manor to see Draco and make sure things were orderly. Katherine had agreed to stay at the cottage with Lucius, at least until he was feeling better and was prepared to make the journey home. They enjoyed the cottage life together and it satisfied Katherine's desire to experience some sort of domestic bliss with him.  
Except for the fact that they hadn't slept together since before he was taken to Azkaban.

She didn't know why, of course. At first, she worried that two years of guilt due to (consensual) adultery had caught up to him, although the thought had been quickly cast aside once she realized he would have ended things if that were the case. Then she feared that he was no longer attracted to her. But he still was affectionate, still kissed her, touched her. It took her a while to realize that it was most likely due to either a) his own insecurity or b) some baseless dread he had due to the fact he had been away for so long. She couldn't blame him, he had a lot to process and work through after being locked in Azkaban.

Katherine, of course, didn't pry. There was no point, Lucius Malfoy was about as stubborn a man as could be. She knew that, eventually, the time would come, and when it did she would melt in his strong hands like she used to. They still had plenty of intimate moments, like sharing a hot bubble bath or slow dancing in the moonlight on particularly nice evenings. The cottage was a getaway that disconnected them from the rest of the world despite an unspoken worry of what was to come. They didn't leave the house much, only to get groceries, and Katherine usually went alone. But on Christmas Eve, she decided there was no point in them staying cooped up inside. The town, which was occupied by Muggles, was quaint and had lots of small cafes and shops. The only issue would be getting Lucius to go. 

"Good morning, Lucius."   
His eyes peeked over the top of a newspaper, his eyebrow raised. He was sitting at the kitchenette, drinking a cup of coffee as he usually did every morning. It was hard to get him to adjust to a less-magic filled life (Katherine had decided it would be risky for them to use magic in case his wand was being tracked and locked his wand in a drawer) and there had been multiple arguments about how he was absolutely not okay with being reduced to the same level as a muggle. "Yes, dove, what is it?" he replied coldly, the newspaper pages crinkling as he turned a page. 

"It's Christmas Eve, you know. I thought it might be fun for us to go visit the town, they have really beautiful lights and one of the largest trees I have ever seen in Centre Square. I can't name one time that you've left this property since you arrived here. You need to get out, and since the only occupants are muggles you should be safe." She pouted, taking a seat next to him at the kitchenette. He slammed his paper down on the counter, giving her a stern look.   
"No. I will not be caught frolicking amongst Muggles. We can spend the holiday here, there is a warm fireplace, you can make hot chocolate or some other treat I'm sure. That is much better spending of time than going to spend the holiday in town." he responded, taking a sip of his coffee. Katherine frowned, her eyes rolling as she leaned against the countertop. 

"You are no fun, Luci. Truly a man of selfish nature, not wanting to go into town to spend Christmas with the woman who took care of you when you were at your worst. It's a pity, really, that you can't put aside your own personal prejudice to do something kind for once. I'm trying, you know, trying really hard to make this little vacation or whatever it is nice before we inevitably have to return to whatever shitshow the wizarding world is going to be when we return to England. So please, just suck it up for once your incredibly privileged life!" 

Katherine won the argument, of course. 

She and Lucius strolled down the cobblestone streets of the quaint little town, snowflakes tickling the bare tip of her nose, a furry black cloak keeping her warm in the cold. Lucius, dressed in his own black wool coat, was holding her hand tightly to keep their hands all toasty despite both of them wearing gloves. They blended in well, no one questioning their arrival at the town. While her partner seemed grumpy, Katherine couldn't have been more excited. Bright twinkling lights surrounded them, the sound of carolers filling her ears. While she loved spending Christmas at the Manor, there was just something so whimsical and enchanting about celebrating in a little village. 

"Where should we go first, Luci? There's a bakery over here, oh, and there's a cocoa stand and a small row of shops just across the street." She said excitedly, pulling the tall man around like he was a dog. Lucius, still unamused by the fact he was amongst muggles, just snorted an "I do not care" in response. Katherine sighed and tugged him towards a small jewelry store. A sign above the wooden door read "Diamonds and Precious Stones", and as she peered inside she could see glistening rubies, large diamond earrings, and small statues made entirely out of sapphires. As she opened the door to step inside, a small bell rang to signal that a customer had entered.   
"Ah, welcome, welcome. A happy Christmas to you all." said the salesclerk, who stood behind the counter polishing a large yellow diamond. Lucius simply bobbed his head in response, staring at the elegant jewelry beside him. "Is there something, in particular, you're looking for?" the man asked before saying "I'm assuming you're looking for a late Christmas gift for your lovely wife over there, sir." 

Katherine opened her mouth to interject but Lucius spoke first. "As a matter of fact, I am. Anything that catches your eye, my dear?" he cooed, placing a gentle hand against the small of her back. She gave a small yet uncomfortable smile, glancing around the shop looking for something more unique than just a diamond necklace or pearl earrings. She already had those, and Lucius had spoiled her so much in the beginning stages of their relationship that nothing really stood out to her. Lucius guided her over to the shelf of jeweled statues that sparkled in the shop lights. "Katherine, what about this?" he asked, reaching his gloved hand to pick up a small dove made out of emerald. He placed it in her hand delicately, pressing a soft kiss on the top of her head.   
"Oh, Luci, it's perfect!" she hummed, the two of them making their way towards the counter to pay. The store clerk began wrapping the little shiny bird in black tissue paper before slipping it into a bag, passing it off to Lucius. "That'll be 230 francs, please. Are you paying via cash or card?" Lucius raised an eyebrow, his eyes glancing over to Katherine. Of course, he was clueless. He tapped on the credit card terminal with his finger before Katherine had to push his hand away as she told the man they were paying cash.   
"What on earth is a franc?" he mumbled, holding out his hand so she could pass him money. Lucius never bothered to learn about muggle currency, relying on Katherine to figure things out as always. 

"That's like 30 galleons, I think." She whispered back, slipping him a velvet coin pouch containing muggle money she had exchanged before she and Narcissa fled. It technically was his money that they had taken from his vault. She counted out a few paper notes before handing it off to him. Lucius turned up his nose, clutching the small bag in his hand as he handed the waiting man the money. "Have a happy Christmas, sir, and I hope you like your husband's gift, madame." The salesman said, waving to the two of them as they walked out of the shop, the door clanging shut behind them. 

"Oh, my loving husband, so handsome yet so clueless." She joked, grabbing onto his arm as they walked down the streets. Lucius rolled his eyes in response, handing her the shopping bag. "Please, we are not married. I just did not want that muggle asking questions." Katherine's face fell before she nodded, patting his arm with her hand gently. "Of course, Luci. I was only teasing." It stung, another painful reminder that despite her loyalty and love for him, he would never hold her in that high regard.   
"Where to next?" Lucius asked as they continued strolling down the bustling street. Katherine looked around, trying to find something else to do. Most of the shops had closed, but there were a few bars still open. She didn't want to drink, however, so she decided that she would just force Lucius to tread behind her for the rest of the night. Besides, he owed her one. 

-

Later that evening, Katherine pulled a less-than-amused Lucius towards the cottage. She had spent the whole night making him watch the tree lighting and the candle lighting and the Christmas pet parade. He had complained the entire time about how annoying muggles are and how much better wizarding holidays were celebrated. Eventually, she thought it was best for them to retreat for the night. As soon as Katherine turned the doorknob to enter the cottage, she was met with a pouncing Achilles. The dog barked and leaped up on his hind legs, pressing his paws on Lucius's chest.

"Down, boy!" he hissed, pushing the dog off of him causing Achilles to whimper. The two stepped inside, Lucius taking his and Katherine's overcoats to hang them on the coat rack.  
"Well, this was fun." She mumbled to herself, stepping into the living room. Lucius made his way up the stairs, pausing once he made it halfway up the staircase.  
"Katherine the second floor is freezing cold." He yelled over to her. She walked over to the staircase, shivering as soon as she placed her foot on the first step.

"It must be from the snow. The whole house is colder than ever." She sighed, going into the small closet by the steps to grab blankets. "We're going to have to sleep in front of the fire tonight. I can take the floor if you want the sofa." Lucius offered, stepping back down off of the steps.  
"Why don't we both sleep on the floor together?" She responded, lightly grabbing his hand. "I mean, we can get all close under the blankets, that's a surefire way for us to stay warm." Her finger lightly trailed over his arm, Lucius clenching his jaw in response.  
"I can tell you want to do something much more than that underneath those blankets." he hummed, his hand pulling her against him, Katherine letting out a small gasp before a grin appeared on her face.

"Oh, Luci, of course I want to do something more, something special. How about we consider tonight my Christmas gift? It'll be all about you..." She purred, leading him into the living room. She knew, deep down, that she was eventually going to end up underneath Lucius while he slammed into like she always did, but it didn't hurt to at least try to be in a small bit of control at least once.

Lucius decided to play along.

Heavy winter clothes dropped onto the wooden floor, the two of them taking turns stripping each other. The cold air hit their flushed skin, Katherine tugging Lucius towards the large couch playfully. He stood in front of the loveseat, nudging him into a seated position, his legs slightly open.  
"Shh, my darling. Let me take care of you." She cooed, gently pressing him down against the sofa with her palms once she got in a comfortable straddling position. Her frigid hands ran against his chest, tracing over every scar, every small imperfection that was beautiful in her eyes.

And then warm lips were pressed against his, his hand flying to rest against her back to steady her. Almost instinctively, his other hand moved to trace down her chest, but it was quickly slapped away, Katherine pulling her lips away.  
"Not tonight. This is about you, remember," she whispered against his skin before she began to press hard kisses on his neck.

She knew he was insecure, deep down. Azkaban had obliterated his prideful nature, and she was certain that he still viewed himself as the weakened prisoner he was once was. That night it was her mission to worship every inch of his body, every insecurity, every scar that he thought made him undesirable. She felt him harden underneath her as her lips trailed down his neck and to his chest, small purple bruises appearing on his pale skin. Her hand moved to his erection, her thumb gently rubbing over his tip. He let out a small groan as his hips bucked upward slightly in response. She smiled against his skin, lifting her head up to meet his desperate gaze, and suddenly she knew he probably loved this. Lucius loved control, yes, but to have a gorgeous woman worship and praise every inch of him most definitely sent him over the edge.

Her hand slowly began moving up and down his length, a teasing grin appearing on her face as Lucius's head rested against the bag of the sofa, his grip on the couch cushion turning his knuckles an icy white. Once he was fully hard, she stopped her stroking for a moment before slowly sinking to her knees. He groaned again at her movement, his large calloused hand finding its usual place on the top of her head. The sudden tug on her hair caused her to gasp, and she slowly licked her lips in anticipation as she wrapped her plump lips around his tip.

Her emerald eyes met his, and she was met with an icy stare that sent shivers down her spine more than the cold of the room did. Goosebumps popped on her skin as she began sucking on his cock, slowly at first before picking up speed. She never broke eye contact, her lashes batting as she moved at a careful rhythm focusing solely on his pleasure. His grey eyes bore down on her approvingly as he gently rubbed circles in her hair. Her flushed cheeks hollowed as she continued her movements, and before long his cock twitched against her lips signaling he was close. She swirled her mouth around his pink tip one last time before her mouth filled with a salty taste as she heard Lucius let out a loud moan above her. Pulling her lips away, she leaned back on her legs as she gazed up at him. Sweat glistened on his flaming cheeks despite the room being chilled, his bare chest rising and falling with every desperate breath.

"Do you wanna fuck me, Mr. Malfoy?"

Soon she was pinned down on top of one of the blankets, Lucius thrusting in and out of her at an almost delicate pace. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist to allow for a better angle, her head falling against a pillow as he slid into her Her fun was over and he had taken control like he normally did. The fireplace crackled in front of them, the light illuminating their naked bodies against the snowy window. It was the most romantic sex they had ever had, not rough, not degrading, no mumbles of "who's a good little whore" filling the room. It was just the two of them moving together in joyous harmony.

Katherine let out a jaded moan as she felt that familiar fire in her stomach, and he twitched inside of her as they both chased their release together. Her head fell against the pillow again as she inhaled and exhaled, Lucius staying inside of her as he peppered kisses against her exposed neck.  
"I don't think I ever told you how gorgeous you are, darling," he murmured, gently biting at the skin as she laughed beneath him. It felt good to be appreciated, praised, told she was beautiful. She felt him slip out of her, and she sat up to grab the blankets and discarded clothes that surrounded them.  
"We really should get dressed. The fire will keep us warm but it's still freezing." She said softly, throwing on her sweater. Lucius pressed a kiss against her cheek, throwing on his own sweater.

"Fair enough, my dove."

After they had cleaned up and gotten dressed again, Lucius laid down on the makeshift bed patting the blanket next to him. Katherine laid down in the empty space, immediately feeling Lucius wrap his arms around her pulling her back against his chest. She smiled softly to herself, pulling a heap of blankets over them as she closed her eyes. His breath was hot against the back of her neck, strong arms holding her in his grip. Normally, they just shared a bed after having sex, cuddling afterward being an incredibly rare occasion.

She slowly drifted off into a calm sleep, feeling nothing less than safe and content in his arms


	27. Perfect Illusion

The frosty winter months floated by, and soon it was the beginning of May. Spring had dawned, and the cottage was surrounded by blooming flowers and greenery. Lucius and Katherine's stay at the small beach town was coming to an end as they hoped to return to Malfoy Manor by the end of the month. Lucius had recovered and the two were getting quite bored all alone in the isolated home. He missed his wife and his son, and Katherine missed having the huge manor to wander around aimlessly whenever Lucius pissed her off.

In fact, living with Lucius made her more than happy with the fact she wasn't married to him. It wasn't that he was messy, in fact he was the opposite of messy, a true perfectionist who needed everything to his liking. The pampered man was just helpless in a sense. Raised with a silver spoon in his fist surrounded by butlers and house elves he never had to lift a finger to do anything.

Imagine the bickering that occurred when Katherine asked him to help her with basic house chores.

"Lucius, it's dust. It's not going to kill you," she urged, waving a rag at him. He stood leaning against the doorframe, a sour look across his face.  
"Katherine, I don't dust. What do you think I have a butler for?" he snorted back, waving his hand dismissively at her. Katherine wanted nothing more than to bang her head against the wall. How on earth could a grown man be such a snob?  
"Besides, today is a special day for me. I shouldn't have to do anything but sit around and have you bring me breakfast."

She glanced up at him, raising her eyebrow out of confusion. "Special day, huh? This is news to me. Let's see, is it an anniversary? Did you and Narcissa get married on this day?"  
He shook his head no.  
"Is it the day we first met?"  
"We met August 17th, dove. I can't believe you don't remember, frankly I'm offended," he answered.

Katherine's eyes suddenly lit up. "Luci, is today your birthday? I can't believe I've never celebrated your birthday with you," she grinned, biting her lip as she saw Lucius give a small nod.  
"Ah, what a smart girl you are. Normally I am not one to celebrate such an occasion but I would rather not do any disgusting chores today."

Katherine winked, tossing the dust rag on the shelf next to her. "Okay, we can put a pause on all the household business and celebrate. How many candles do I need to put on the cake, like 50?" she teased, playfully swatting his arm as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Lucius narrowed his eyes.  
"I am turning 43 this year, for your information. I am much older than you, yes, but not that old," he responded coldly. Katherine laughed, she adored teasing him, pushing his buttons. She stepped past him, walking into the kitchen.

"Will you at least help me bake your birthday cake? I still can't believe that you've never experienced baking before." She muttered, opening up the wooden cabinet to pull out some flour and sugar. Luckily, there were plenty of baking supplies left from Narcissa's stay. Lucius stepped into the kitchen as well but stayed standing by the doorway.

"I personally do not think I need to help you. I would much rather watch," he hummed in response, tapping his fingers against the marble counters. She shot him a glare, Lucius eventually agreeing to help her by grabbing all the ingredients. He opened up one of the lower cabinets, taking out a small cake pan and a spatula.

As she began to mix the batter, it became more and more clear to her that Lucius most likely had never stepped into a kitchen let alone made something for himself.  
"Lucius, you have to take a knife and level it out. You can't put the entire cup of flour in there, it's too much." Katherine explained to him, who was holding an overflowing measuring cup of flour in one of his hands. She grabbed a butter knife, slowly guiding his hand over the open flour bag letting the blade level the flour.  
"Now, put that in the bowl. You do know what a bowl is, right?"

"Of course I know what a bowl is." Lucius snapped back, emptying the measuring cup in the bowl.  
"Okay, good. You didn't mess that up. Now, take the little hand-held mixer"-Lucius raised an eyebrow-"The thing with the two metal things, and turn it on so we can mix everything together."  
Lucius grabbed the mixer, holding the metal in his hands before he placed it in the bowl.  
"How do you turn it on?" he asked, Katherine stepping to the bowl to help him.  
"Okay, it's the little button on the top. You have to slide it carefully, don't push it to the top-"

It was too late. Lucius slid the mixer all the way, flour flying all over the room covering both of them in the white starch. Katherine pushed him off of the mixer, turning it off with a small groan.  
"Okay, new plan. Why don't you take Achilles for a walk, and I'll finish up here," she sighed, dusting the flour off her face. Lucius looked apologetic, nodding before pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"All a part of my plan, my dear."

-

Later that afternoon, Katherine stood in the kitchen washing up all of the dishes. The kitchen radio played soft, classic music that echoed through the room. Lucius had just returned from his walk with the Doberman, sneaking into the kitchen to surprise the disgruntled woman. He crept behind her, slowly placing his hands over her eyes as she leaned back into him.

"Guess who."

Katherine bit her lip, slowly taking his outstretched hands off of her eyes. "I wonder, is it the man who made a mess earlier just so he could get out of helping?" she teased, gasping once Lucius moved his hands to run up and down the sides of her waist.  
"Oh, dove. You cannot still be mad at me for that," he mumbled, resting his chin on her shoulder as she squirmed. He spun her around, gently pressing her against the counter as he leaned in to kiss her.

Her breath hitched before she leaned into his kiss, her palms finding the familiar place at his shoulders. Despite their fiery relationship beginning to grow out of the young stages and into something more serious and mature, every time their lips met sent shivers up her spine like it was their first time. That was the effect he had on her, he was mysterious, romantic, captivating in every sense. His scent of musk and sandalwood mixed with the sweet aroma of the day's earlier baking adventures as his lips moved to her neck.

Her hands slid underneath his shirt, light fingers tracing over his stomach as the fabric was lifted gently from his skin, over his shoulders until he was standing, chest bare, in front of her. He lifted her hips up, urging her to sit down on the kitchen countertop. She was captured in another heated kiss before she felt her own blouse being slipped off of her shoulders, rough fingers desperately tracing over bare shoulders.

Those fingers slipped over her shoulders, down her arms before a hand was pushing up her skirt, the fabric gathering at the top of her thigh. Lucius trailed his finger against her leg before he hooked the band of her panties, slowly sliding them down her legs before they dropped on the hardwood underneath her. She leaned into him closer, holding on to him in order to steady herself against the cold counter beneath her.

Letting out a gasp as a finger slid inside of her, her knuckles turned white from her grip on the marble. His finger curled inside of her, slowly hooking in a come-hither motion against her g-spot. She let out a loud moan against his heated lips, spreading her legs wider to allow him better access. He moved in closer, using his own leg to keep her thighs from closing as he continued to pump his fingers in and out.

"Lucius, I'm close-"

Suddenly she felt herself being yanked from the counter, his long fingers no longer inside of her. Letting out an exasperated gasp, she was flipped around, her chest and cheek now pressed against the countertop.  
"Come on, Lucius..." she whined as his large hands slid against her ass before her skirt was hitched up again. She shuddered as his hands dug into her hips, steadying her against the surface before he slowly pushed inside of her.

He moved her forward before pulling her back on his cock, stretching her out like he always seemed to do. Katherine held her hands behind her back tightly as he thrust into her, already setting the ever-quickening pace he always seemed to have on her. Her legs trembled beneath her as he utterly wrecked her again and again, her cheek turning numb from the coldness under it. One of his hands left her hip to tightly entwine itself in her long hair, pulling her head back and off the counter as a loud moan escaped her lips. He was rough, dominant, in control as he always was.

Time seemed to slow as he bucked his hips onto hers, Katherine hearing his almost primal grunts. After a few final thrusts, he was coming undone inside of her, letting go of his grip on her hair and hips as he slid out. Katherine let her own release flow from her body as she fell against the counter. Lucius grabbed onto her to steady the woman underneath him, pressing a kiss to the back of her head.

"Happy Birthday to me," he whispered against her, grinning as she collapsed against him.


	28. Drama Club

Spring flew by quickly, and by the end of June they had left the cozy cottage to move back into Malfoy Manor. The end of the unplanned vacation came faster than Katherine wanted, but Lucius had emphasized his desire to see his family. She felt a little guilty, keeping him away this long, but he needed time to rest and recover. He looked better, not at the same level of health he was in when she first met him, but better than the feeble state he was in when he first escaped from Azkaban.

They found it easiest to travel by floo powder, and soon appeared in the flickering green flames of the fireplace at the estate. Katherine stepped out first, dusting off excess ash from her skirt before Lucius, who held Achilles on his leash, followed behind her. Narcissa and Draco, who were lounging on the luxe sofa in the living room, immediately rose to their feet to greet the pair. The Doberman padded out of the room, immediately beginning to sniff around the empty hallways. Draco looked worse for wear in Katherine's eyes, the poor boy appearing stressed and disheveled.

"Lucius, Katherine, welcome home." Narcissa smiled, embracing her husband first. His lips pressed gently against the top of his wife's head, Narcissa looking less-than relieved her husband was back. There was not one ounce of joy or love in her eyes. Katherine saw her whisper something to Lucius, a look of dread appearing on his face. Katherine went to greet an unusually quiet Draco, placing her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.  
"Hi, Draco. How are you?" she asked softly.  
The boy shifted himself away, a meek smile crossing his face. She felt bad for him, she truly did. The poor boy was born into this life of darkness and submission to a leader who had evil oozing out of every pore. 

"Katherine, dear, would you mind helping me move Lucius's bags upstairs?" Narcissa asked, appearing behind Katherine. Knowing that it must be something important (if it was just about bags they would have called Abernathy), she offered one last sympathetic look at the youngest Malfoy before following Narcissa to grab Lucius's and her own bags before heading up the winding staircase. 

"Is Draco alright? He seemed upset when I spoke to him earlier." Katherine asked once they reached the second floor. Narcissa stiffened as she pulled her into the master bedroom, setting Lucius's bag on the bed.  
"Draco had to take the Dark Mark, dear. He just got back from school, you know. The whole time he was at Hogwarts, when he should be studying and being a teenage boy, he was assisting the Death Eater's siege of the school."

Katherine's eyes widened as she dropped her own bag on the floor in front of her.  
"What happened? Why didn't Dumbledore help him, and the school for that matter?" Her heart felt as if it were sinking down into her stomach. All she could hope for was that her sister was well and alive and out of trouble. Narcissa glanced down at the floor before placing a hand against the small of Katherine's back. Something was wrong. 

"Dumbledore is dead, dear. Professor Snape killed him, it was supposed to be Draco but my son could not do it. The Dark Lord was punishing my son for my husband's failures. He-he wanted Draco to die."

Taking a long step back to sit on the bed behind her, Katherine made an attempt to hide her emotional response. She hadn't known Dumbledore well as the headmaster had so many students she had never formed any connection or academic relationship with him, but she still felt mournful upon hearing the news. Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of the century, murdered at the hands of his most trusted friend. He had meant so much to so many eager and bright-eyed pupils, yet was hated by so many. Deep down she knew that the Malfoys were pleased with the news of his death as he had fought hard against them and Voldemort. The only comfort she had was knowing that despite being surrounded by his inner circle of moralless cronies, she was secretly fighting for the winning side. 

Like Snape was supposed to be.

Snape, the one who had sworn to her that he was spy of light amidst the dark. Instead of despair, she felt a wave of sudden anger towards her old professor. She trusted him, trusted that he was going to keep her safe and out of true harm's way. But she knew that this was not a child's game of tag or a simple petty feud. She had (either willingly or unwillingly) intertwined herself into something much bigger, much darker than her imagination could fathom. It was her fault for following Lucius to the graveyard, she had come to terms with that fact long ago. Snape had lost her trust, and her survival now solely depended on herself, not Lucius, not Snape, not Narcissa. She alone was in control of her fate. 

"I'm glad to have you back, Katherine," said Narcissa quietly, breaking the ever-thickening silence that surrounded them. She sat down next to the other woman, Katherine leaning in to rest her head against Narcissa's shoulder. A comforting arm wrapped around her, delicate fingers rubbing consolingly against her arm. No talking or casual conversation was needed as there was a mutual understanding of the endless emotions the two women, so different yet so alike, felt at that moment. 

The bedroom door opened, Bellatrix appearing in the doorway. Katherine pulled her head off of Narcissa's shoulder, Narcissa keeping her arm around her protectively. 

"What is it, Bella?" 

"The others have arrived, though Severus is waiting outside the gates. I thought sweet little Katherine might want to fetch him for us." Her voice was almost accusing, giving off the impression that she was aware of the secret Katherine was keeping. Almost as quickly as she entered, Bellatrix swiftly exited the room, Narcissa slowly following her sister out.

Unpacking her bags would have to wait, assuming that the 'others' Bellatrix had mentioned were Death Eaters coming for one of the meetings. 15 minutes ago, she had arrived home from the cottage exhausted and now she had to sit through one of Voldemort's terrible speeches. She begrudgingly hopped off of the bed before making her way towards the door, peeking around the hallway to make sure that Narcissa and Bellatrix had made their way downstairs already. She made her way down the large staircase before heading out the front doors and onto the large pathway that led towards the front gate where a black-cloaked figure was standing. 

Katherine slowly peered through the thick metal bars, her eyes meeting the obsidian pools of Severus Snape's. Her hand slowly undid the lock at the front gate, letting the man inside the grounds of Malfoy Manor. It took everything in her willpower to not jab her wand underneath his chin and scream at him for the betrayal he performed. Snape stepped onto the pathway as Katherine shut the gate behind him. 

"Ah, good evening Miss Farrington," Snape said coldly, his black cloak floating behind him as she led him towards the front. Katherine bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from saying something rash, but it was no use. 

"What are you playing at? I thought I could trust you, and you go and murder Dumbledore!" she exploded, stepping in front of him with her arms outstretched. Snape immediately grabbed her arm, whipping her around before shoving her against the steel gate. He held a tight grip on her as she squirmed. 

"Do not speak of things you know nothing about. You know barely anything. As far as I am concerned you are Lucius's little whining useless lapdog who is no better than that repulsive Wormtail. I granted you sanctuary as a favor and I will not have you question my actions, do I make myself clear?" 

Katherine slowly nodded as Snape let go of her. She brushed past him, heading towards the entrance to the manor as he followed her on the straight pathway that led to the castle-like home. Walking in silence, they reached the front doorstep and the looming doors that were opened by Bellatrix, who simply grinned as she let the two inside the cold home, Katherine shivering as she glanced around the massive foyer. Though she had been home for mere minutes, she was still shocked at how much the manor changed in her absence. While it was never warm and welcoming like the cottage, it had never in the years she spent with Lucius been as chilling, empty, utterly soulless.

Bellatrix led them into the musty room where several Death Eaters sat at the elongated dark wood table. Katherine spotted Lucius first, who was seated at his normal place next to his wife and his son, an empty chair next to Narcissa reserved for her. Snape broke away from the group to sit at his own plush seat across the table leaving Katherine to take her place alone. The sight before her was terrifying, straight out of her darkest nightmares. A woman who she recognized as her old Muggle Studies professor Charity Burbage floated above the group, her mouth agape as her knotted hair dangled below her. Voldemort sat at his throne-like chair at the head of the winding table. He seemed entertained, amused at the torture he was inflicting on the innocent woman in front of him.

It made Katherine sick to her stomach.

"Don't look too excited now, little mouse," Bellatrix laughed next to her, Katherine swallowing to keep herself from actually getting sick. She glanced at Lucius, whose icy eyes were staring blankly ahead of him. Her heart shattered, he looked so distant, weak, melancholic despite his improved condition from the cottage stay. Narcissa's gentle hand took hers, squeezing it tightly as she noticed her discomfort. Grateful for her sympathetic nature, Katherine turned her own attention back to the grotesque, pale leader of the Death Eaters.

"My dearest friends and devoted followers, I welcome you."  
She stopped listening after Voldemort began to speak, his ragged voice feeling like sandpaper on her skin. The only thing she could do was gaze at the surface of the wooden table in front of her, Narcissa's grip on her hand slowly loosening as he continued speaking. A whirlwind of emotions created a storm in her mind, the most thunderous being anger. Anger that she was stuck here amongst murderers and people filled with unjustified hatred. It was humorous to her, that these people so devoted to a man who was a half-blood himself, who, by his reasoning, should be worshiping at the feet of the very people that followed him.

Katherine was only snapped out of her stupor once she heard Snape speak out.  
"My lord, I can assure you that Potter is not in the protection of the Ministry. He is at a safe house guarded by the order, I assume, most likely with his little gang of friends like the blood traitor Weasleys," he uttered, tapping his long fingers against the tabletop. She swallowed to keep herself from talking out of place, wanting to know if her sister was alongside the group.

"I want to be the one to kill Potter!" Bellatrix yelled, causing Narcissa to whip her head around to face her sister with an almost outraged expression. Katherine thought the whole ordeal was ridiculous, a 70-year-old man wanting to kill a teenage boy no older than 18 years old. Voldemort went to interject, waving his spindly hands to silence the helping and arguing Death Eaters.

"Nonsense, Bellatrix. I shall be the one to kill Harry Potter, it is written in destiny. However, I do require something from one of you. I cannot kill Potter without a new wand as ours are connected." He arose from his seated position, his colorless fingers brushing against the back of the seats as he paraded around the dining room. Katherine saw the color drain from Lucius's face as she became aware of her own wand that was tucked into the inside pocket of her dress. It was on the shorter end of wands, with a unicorn hair core and a dark brown dogwood that merged into a small rose-shaped bulb at the end of the handle. It was her prized possession, a memory of her last trip to Diagon Alley with her parents.

"Lucius. Your wand."

Katherine leaned over to see Voldemort towering over the trembling man. His palm was outstretched, long digits beckoning for Lucius to give up his wand. She watched Lucius slowly remove his wand from his charcoal grey suit, unable to pull her eyes away from him as he slowly placed his snake-headed wand into Voldemort's hand.  
"What is your wand made of, Lucius?"  
"Elmwood with a dragon heartstring core, 18 inches my lord."

Voldemort stared Lucius blankly in the eye, his hand snapping off the snakehead with a loud crack that seemed to resonate throughout the silence of the room. She thought Lucius was going to cry. The silver topper dropped to the floor, Lucius not daring to pick it up off of the ground. If she wasn't sitting at a table full of murderous individuals, she would have hugged him, pressed her soft lips against his stubbled cheek, and held him. She knew he was a strong, prideful man who didn't necessarily need comfort, but she knew he was hurting. To lose a wand was to lose your magic, a man like Lucius most definitely feeling disgraced by his loss.

"Is something the matter, Miss Farrington? Look alive, my child! A new age is upon us. You are on the winning side." Voldemort laughed, moving back towards the front of the long table. She stayed silent, leaning against the soft cushioning on the back of her chair as her eyes were soon directed to the floating woman who still resided above them. Charity Burbage, though not one of her favorite professors during her time at Hogwarts, was still innocent. In the eyes of Voldemort, however, she was as valued as the dirt that resided at the bottom of his shoe. Katherine's eyes drifted towards Snape whose face was expressionless despite the torture his colleague was going through. Burbage was not going to survive. 

"Severus, please!" 

Begging was no use and soon the woman had fallen flat against the table, a large snake slithering towards her as a horrified Katherine watched. 

-

Still shaking from the events that had occurred earlier, Katherine just wanted Lucius and his ability to somehow comfort her in trying times. He, of course, had slipped away after the meeting like he usually did. Knowing his usual hiding spot was the library she headed down the familiar hallway of the manor before finally coming across the engraved door. The library was possibly the thing she missed most while she was away. Something about the large room filled to the brim with old texts and fantasy stories allowed her to escape the world she was trapped in. The door was cracked open, Katherine pushing it open before entering. 

The library was dark with the wide windows showing dark clouds and rain outside. Every so often a strike of lightning would illuminate the room followed by a crack of boisterous thunder. Lucius rested in his armchair as his chest rose and fell with every soft breath he took, a half-full glass of fire whisky in his hand. He looked serene sitting there in an almost sleeplike state. Katherine thought he had fallen asleep drinking before he stirred at the sound of her entry. 

"I found you," Katherine said quietly, making her way towards him. Lucius lifted his head up not saying a word, instead tapping his palm on the tip of his thigh. She sat down on his lap as she took the glass out of his hand setting it on the desk next to him. 

"That's enough to drink for today, alright?"

"I am so sorry," he began to ramble. "Narcissa blames me, you know. I was not supposed to escape Azkaban, I was sent to die in there. And Draco was never supposed to be a part of this either. I have failed my own family, do you know how terrible that feels? My own son is terrified, my wife is distraught and my marriage seems to be crumbling beneath me. And you, my dove, well I am terrified you will wake up one day and decide to leave me too. You never wanted this life, I'm the reason you're in this mess you know." 

"You're spewing out nonsense, Lucius. Narcissa is not leaving you, not after all of the shit you two have been through. And I can assure you I am not going anywhere. I have been with you since this war has begun and I will be with you until this war ends. I tell you this so many times over and over and you never believe me. We've separated more than once, you went to Azkaban, for Merlin's sake, and I've still come back every single time. When I tell you I love you and that you're the one I want to be with, nothing but the truth is coming out of my mouth. Hell is not such a sufferable place when you are enduring it with someone you love." She placed her hand on his cheek, using her thumb to wipe away a singular tear that had threatened to spill onto his cheek. Lucius stared blankly into her eyes before leaning his head into her chest, Katherine slowly running her fingers through his hair as her chin rested against his head. 

And then Lucius Malfoy was crying in her arms. She had never seen him upset before, let alone seen him break down and cry. All she could do was offer him words of comfort, little coos and whispers to remind him that she was there. She doubted that Narcissa had ever seen him cry before. No, he was a man with an emotionless facade with layers of fear and shame underneath. Pity. That's what she felt for him. Following Voldemort was his choosing however having his son forcibly follow in his footsteps or having his wife threaten separation was not. It was a consequence of his own making. Katherine just sat there with him in the library letting his tears mix in with the pattering of the outside rain.


	29. Chemtrails Over the Country Club

The overwhelming stress of the upcoming war clung to everyone in the manor like a leech draining every bit of energy and life. Lucius and Narcissa weren't on speaking terms (Katherine had unfortunately overheard a particularly heated argument that ended with Lucius sleeping in her bed that night). Katherine worried for Lucius and his seemingly crumbling marriage, not wanting to drive a wedge in between the couple or choose sides. She would begin her day listening to poor Narcissa's ramblings and end her day with particularly rough and heated sex with Lucius. Lucius didn't do much during the day, he would just sit weakly on his armchair, his wandless cane by his side as he drowned in his sorrow.

Their relationship was deteriorating as well, despite her comforting him earlier. Lucius was doing so well before he returned home to the darkness of the manor. But now he ignored her and her attempts at consolement. It was as if she only existed after the sun went down and he needed someone to ramble off to. The place he and Katherine used to roam freely about was transformed into a hub for Death Eaters. She could barely leave her room without running into Bellatrix or Dolohov or one of Voldemort's other minions. Though Snape, someone who she had considered barely a friend before he killed Dumbledore, made an appearance at the manor she never talked to him. Tensions were high, hateful words were being thrown around at a whim, and Katherine just wanted a day, an hour even, of peace and quiet.

The opportunity arose when a large barn owl flew into her bedroom one night, a fanciful envelope and a regular piece of parchment clasped in its beak. The bird fluttered aroud the dimly lit room for a moment before dropping both pieces of paper on her bed. Katherine picked up the note first, assuming the envelope was to be opened later.

Katherine,

Remember Bill Weasley from school? Well, he's getting married this weekend and I need a plus one. Care to join me? Send your reply back with the owl. Invitation attached.

Love, Victor.

Victor. She hadn't spoken to Victor since the night she snuck out to see him. Quickly opening the elaborately-wrapped envelope, she skimmed the details. August 1st 1997 at the Weasley family home. It seemed inappropriate to have a wedding in the middle of a wizarding war where people were dying every day. But it was a way for her to get out of Malfoy Manor for the say. She quickly grabbed a quill off of her desk to scribble in the 'yes' box on the invitation before passing it off to the owl. The challenge was going to be getting Lucius to let her go. He had such a burning hatred for the entire Weasley family, there was no way he was going to have his darling Katherine attend such an event.

As if he had a say in the matter.

Katherine found him, as usual, sitting in his armchair by the large living room windows that allowed for a small bit of sunlight to seep through. He seemed to always be exhausted, his eyes puffy from his nightly fights and the constant stress he was under. She approached him slowy, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. His eyes stayed staring directly in front of him, that blank stare he seemed to constantly have on his face. She almost felt guilty for wanting to leave for a night knowing how much he was struggling.

"Lucius, can I have a day off?"

Not bothering to look up at her, he spoke. "Katherine surely you know that we are past the point of you asking me for permission. What are you planning?" asked Lucius, his shimmering ring-clad fingers tapping on the armrest. Katherine had an excuse already planned, of course. No scheme was complete without a solid alibi.  
"Oh, I was invited out for dinner this weekend. My friend from Greece is in town and she wanted to have a little catch up, that's all," she explained. Lucius just nodded, his hand waving slightly to dismiss her prescence.  
"That's fine. Just don't do anything ridiculous and come home with all your limbs attached." Katherine could tell something was bothering him. Running her hands through his hair like she often did, she asked him what was wrong. Finally he looked at her breaking the ice cold gaze he had been holding.

"I am getting tired of fighting with my wife, that is all. Narcissa does not seem to understand the sacrifices I have made to keep her and Draco out of harms way. I am trying my best day in and day out to keep my family safe, Katherine, and yet no one appreciates me."

It was the same woe-is-me speech Lucius gave every single night. Pity, he craved pity for the situation that he alone had put his family in. Part of her wanted to tell him that she wasn't buying his crocodile tears, that he was at fault for everything. The other part of her knew it was easier to keep her mouth shut and just listen. The once noble man had been through so much and he was definitely suffering from his mistakes.

Because his days were spent staring at a wall. A shell of the man he once was, unresponsive to anything Katherine did except for when it was at his convenience. The evening was the only time she got any attention from him, her body used as a therapy. That's why she just nodded in agreement, slowly removing her lingering hand from his blond locks. There was no use trying to open a conversation.

"Thank you. I do hope to see you later tonight. You know my bed is always open," she muttered before walking out of the room. Lucius rested his hand against his cheek, his eyes staring out of the window again.

-  
The weekend came quicker than Katherine expected. On the day of the wedding, she zipped up her own dress, did her own hair, and didn't parade herself in front of Lucius. Victor was meeting her at the Weasley home (apparently called the Burrow) and she was told to use floo powder to travel there around 4:00 in the afternoon, though she was running slightly late. She made her way down the staircase and into the foyer, spotting Lucius at the kitchen table drinking his usual glass of firewhiskey.

"You look beautiful."

The first compliment he had given her in ages shot through her like an arrow. He was looking at her, not at the wall, not at the sky. No, his icy pools were glued on her curvy figure in a skin-tight dress, her long hair flowing with every step. She turned her head towards him, feeling seen for the first time in what seemed like eons. Giving a weak smile in return, she said a quick goodbye before heading into the living room with the large fireplace. Grabbing the powder, she tossed it into the fireplace.  
"The Burrow!" she yelled before stepping into the flames, hoping that Lucius had not heard her.

When she stepped out of the fire on the other end, she was greeted by none other than Victor. She immediately ran into his outstretched arms as he spun her around excitedly.  
"Katherine! I am so glad to see you. Come on, you missed the ceremony but the party is about to start!"

She eagerly followed him out of the home and towards a large white tent, music and loud voices echoing from it. Victor took her hand before leading her inside where a whole array of witches and wizards were mingling, drinking, and dancing with one another. It was joyous and lively, a stark contrast to the coldness of the manor. Before she could take in the whole atmosphere, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

A grinning Tonks stood behind her next to Lupin. Katherine noticed they were holding hands, both of their ring fingers donning a silver band. Married, her friend had gotten married. She didn't want to be envious, but deep down inside of her was a flaming ball of jealousy. Katherine was barely in a relationship at the moment, let alone married. Maybe if Narcissa did leave Lucius he would marry her instead.

"Remus, Tonks, what a pleasure," she said politely. "And congratulations on your marriage."  
Tonks hugged her with a gleeful squeeze.  
"It's lovely to see you too, Katherine. How are things going on your end?" Lupin asked with a whisper. Tonks rolled her eyes, gently whacking his arm.  
"Remus she's not here for business, she's here to party! Come on, let's go get drinks," Tonks yelped, pulling Katherine towards a towering stack of pink bubbly beverages. Remus stopped Katherine for a second, passing her a bar of chocolate.

"If you're drinking tonight you'll probably need this later. It'll make you feel better."

Tonks grabbed a drink once they reached the drink tower, passing it off to Katherine. "These don't have alcohol in them but I'm sure you can find someone with a flask. I actually can't drink at the moment, it's a real pity."  
Katherine almost dropped her drink.  
"Tonks, are you-"  
Her friend nodded excitedly. "I'm not even that far along, I'm due in April so don't tell anyone, alright? Remus knows and he's excited, at least I hope he is. You'll be my baby's Aunt Katherine, right?"

Katherine smiled in agreement as Victor came by, wrapping his arm around Katherine's waist. "The whole gang is here, Tonks. Our favorite Slytherin, back from hell." Katherine laughed sticking her drink out towards a flask Victor held in his hand.  
"Here, this is enchanted alcohol so you won't feel the effects until later," he laughed, tipping over his metal flask allowing bubbling liquid to pour into her drink. "To the three of us, back together again!" the three of them chimed, clinking their glasses together.

As Katherine went to take a sip, she saw a platinum blond man talking to someone in the corner. Her heart stopped for a moment as she realized the someone was her sister. Had Lucius followed her? Excusing herself from the group, she slowly made her way over to the other side of the tent.  
"Katherine!" yelled Elowen, who ran up to hug her sister tightly, a blonde girl with fairy-like features standing behind her.  
"Ellie, is this your sister?" the girl asked in a hazy voice.

"Luna, this is Katherine. Katherine, this is my girlfriend Luna Lovegood and her father," Elowen explained, pulling away from Katherine to grab Luna's hand. Katherine turned to the blond man she had seen earlier. Thankfully, it was not Lucius. Though he looked similar to her own handsome blond, this man wore a strange suit she knew Lucius would not be caught dead in.  
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lovegood," she said, offering her hand. He grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.  
"Please, call me Xenophillius. Your sister is so good to my Luna."

"Daddy, Katherine used to work for a magazine too. I wonder if she's ever read ours," whispered Luna.  
"Ah, yes! We run the Quibbler, you see, a very enlightening magazine to read. Where did you work, Katherine?"  
"The Celestial. Trust me, I'm glad I quit. Miranda Skeeter is a true nightmare," Katherine laughed, taking another sip of her drink.  
"And what do you do now?"  
Katherine choked on her drink. Well, now I'm playing the role of Lucius Malfoy's personal therapist, she wanted to respond.  
"I'm a...personal assistant," was her idea of a better choice of words.

As her conversation with Xenophillius went on, the more drinks she had and the more she realized he was absolutely on something. Odd was an understatement, and she eventually had to excuse herself from the conversation once they began discussing little buzzing insects that apparently live in your head. As soon as she stepped away she found herself running smack dab into Victor again.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, dipping into a bow. Katherine curtsied playfully, taking Victor's hand as he pulled her in. The fast song that was playing ended as a slow waltz began. His hand wrapped itself around her waist as she moved her hands to rest against his shoulders. Together they swayed like flowers in a wind-filled garden, an electric energy between them as they danced in silence.  
"I thought you'd at least write to me, you know after we slept together in the field. You just left," Victor eventually mumbled.

"I know, that was awful of me. I was trying to get home before the boss man saw I was gone, which didn't work. Lucius wasn't happy I was out,"  
"Kat, when are you going to realize that you need to just leave? The war is starting, you know he's a Death Eater, I know you're a 'double agent' but we all know that's just a cover to save your ass if things go wrong. I told you that I care about you too much to let you get swept up in this. If you die-I will never forgive myself."

Katherine bit her lip as the song came to an end. Her fingertips lingered on his shoulders for a moment before she finally leaned up to kiss him. She didn't know if she meant to or if she was just drunk, but nonetheless, she kissed him. His fingertip traced her spine as he held her, their lips moving together in a harmony that she had never achieved with Lucius. As soon as she pulled away, Victor had a wild grin on his face.

"Katherine Farrington, promise me something. If we both make it out of the war alive, and you leave Lucius like we all know you should do, I want you to marry me."

Before she had the chance to respond, a blue light appeared at the center of the ballroom. Katherine took a step back as Victor stepped in front of her protectively. The wedding guests gathered around the orb curiously as a voice echoed out of the light.  
"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Almost as soon as the words were spoken, dark clouds of smoke shot through the air. Flames appeared everywhere as the guests ran around screaming. She saw Tonks and Remus pushing guests out of the tent and she let out a sigh of relief as she saw her sister and Luna leave. Victor grabbed on to Katherine's hand, drawing his wand.  
"Come on, let's get out of here!" he yelled, pulling her towards another exit out of the tent. She stumbled towards the opening as quickly as she could despite her blurring vision. But it was no use, Katherine saw a black smoke come towards her. She closed her eyes and soon she was swallowed by the obsidian mist.

When she opened her eyes again, she was standing inside Malfoy Manor, a raging Lucius standing before her. Suddenly she found herself pinned against a wall, Lucius pushing her against it with all his strength. Her head pounded and her world spun around her, and she could have sworn there were two Lucius's in front of her.

"Are you a fool! You could have died, if I had known you planned to go to the blood traitor's wedding I would have never let you go. You-you sneak out and do what, party like nothing is wrong? How dare you. You are so incredibly lucky that I was supposed to be there fighting tonight so I could save your pathetic ass. I am beyond angry at you."

So now he wanted to be concerned with her. He couldn't be bothered to speak to her during the day but since she went behind his back he wanted to act all protective. In all honesty, she was too drunk to care. She reminded herself to never drink Victor's enchanted alcohol again.  
"Luci, baby, I'm fine. It was so fun, I saw a guy who looked like you, and I think someone asked me to marry them-can I just lay down?" she stuttered, Lucius immediately pulling back from her. There was no use arguing with her when she couldn't even form a coherent sentence.

"You have reduced yourself to a babbling idiot. Lay down here, we shall discuss your lying and sneaky nature in the morning," he hissed, pulling her towards the sofa. She slumped down onto the soft cushions, still mumbling about her night and conversations as Lucius tossed her a random blanket that was on one of the chairs. Curling up against the soft pillow, she felt Lucius's hand against her forehead. He was still angry at her, but the look on his face was more concerned than furious. Again, he was looking at her, this time because he knew that he had saved her from an untimely demise.

"Sleep, my dove."


	30. Sex, Money, Feelings Die

Katherine woke up in the late afternoon with a throbbing migraine. She was surprised to see that she was in her own room and on her own bed, assuming that Lucius or Abernathy had carried her upstairs at some point during the night. As soon she sat up, she realized that she was still wearing her tight dress from the night before. Slightly miffed at the fact that no one had thought to at least unzip the dress so she could sleep, she stepped out of her bed to get herself into something more comfortable. All she wished to do that day was sleep away her hangover. As she slipped off her dress letting it pool on the ground beneath her something fell out of the side pocket.

"Huh. Chocolate," she mumbled to herself, picking it up off of the floor before tossing it on her vanity. Moving over to her wardrobe, she slid open the doors to dig through her clothes. The Malfoys had no grasp of casualwear (they even slept in fancy garments) and Katherine was always expected to look impeccable at every moment. Much to her dismay, the only comfortable clothes she owned were her satin winter sleepwear. Lucius would kill her if she walked around the manor wearing pajamas. Cursing to herself, she reluctantly pulled a black dress out of the wardrobe before slipping it on.

As she made her way down the staircase and into the foyer, she spotted Lucius sitting at the dining room table, alone with a cup of steaming tea. A new Daily Prophet sat unopened on the top of the table with a stark headline reading 'MINISTRY OF MAGIC HAS FALLEN' at the top. Katherine made her way over to the table before pulling out a seat for herself across from Lucius.

"Lovely morning, isn't it?" she asked quietly, grabbing the newspaper to begin scanning the cover page. A tribute to the fallen minister, news of criminal activity, and the apparent registering of Muggle-borns. Bleak was an understatement, the wizarding world seemed to be crumbling at every waking moment. But for some odd reason, the morning felt...normal. Domestic, even, like they were a long-married couple sharing a regular morning's tea.

"Good morning, Katherine. How are you feeling after last night's little...ordeal," hummed Lucius as he took a sip of his tea.

"Well my head is splitting open and all I want is to fall back asleep in my pajamas. Other than that I'm feeling fine."

"Hm. What exactly happened last night, if you don't mind me inquiring. You went on and on about seemingly everything, I could barely understand a word you were saying," he asked as his eyes stayed staring into his teacup.

"Well, I found out your niece is having a baby, isn't that just darling? And then Victor was going on this rant about how if the war ends with us both surviving he wants to marry me and before I could respond a giant blue orb appeared to say that the Ministry of Magic had fallen and that the Minister was dead. Fascinating night, really. Of course, by the end I was too drunk really comprehend what was happening," she said nonchalantly, turning the page of the newspaper.

"Did you say yes?"

Katherine glanced up from the paper. "Lucius, the government fell yesterday and you're worried about if I told Victor I would marry him after the emerging war? It didn't mean anything, we were all wasted, it probably just slipped out of his mouth. I'm not worried about it."

Despite her casual attitude, she knew Lucius would internalize it. The fact was she hadn't confirmed nor denied, and unless things went horribly awry as the war progressed she doubted she would accept. Her home, at least for now, was Malfoy Manor. Leaving was never at the front of her mind, never an option. But Lucius surely didn't need to know that.

"What does it matter, anyway?" Katherine pressed, flipping to another random page of her paper.

Lucius finally glanced up at her. "It certainly doesn't matter to me. I was simply asking, that is all." Katherine wished she had the ability to read minds as he could. Certainly, he was, in his mind, planning Victor's untimely and tragic death. If there was one thing she had knowledge of it would be the fact that Lucius Malfoy was a possessive and jealous lover who was secretly teeming with envy underneath his cold exterior. Oh, how he definitely cared.

"Well, good to know that whatever decision I make will be supported," she teased, setting the paper down on the table. "If you don't mind, I'm going back to my room to lay down for a few hours." He just nodded a response, grabbing the discarded paper to read for himself.

And sleep she did. She slept for hours, waking up in the late evening to a gently knocking at her bedroom door.  
"Come in!" she yelled, slipping on a nightdress before Lucius entered.  
"Feeling better?" he asked, shutting and locking the door behind him.  
"Much better, Luci," Katherine responded. "Though I am in quite a mood if you understand what I mean. Maybe I should write to Victor."

Lucius's nostrils flared in jealousy as he walked towards her. He stalked behind her for a moment before his cold, calloused fingertips brushed against her soft skin.  
"By the time we are done, you won't be having any more thoughts about Mr. Redferne. I simply refuse to allow him to make an attempt to take what's mine," he cooed, his hands sliding the straps off her silky nightdress letting it fall at her feet. The cold air hit her bare body as Lucius cupped her breasts in his hands, soft lips pressing delicate open-mouthed kisses to the nape of her neck.

"You are radiant, my dove. Simply gorgeous," he muttered under his breath, twiddling her hardened nipples with his fingers. She let out a whimpering moan, leaning back into his chest. His hands moved to slowly slide down her body, tracing over every curve until he reached her thighs. Hooking his fingers around the edge of her panties, he tore them off in a desperately swift motion.

"Lay down on the bed and close your eyes," he demanded, and Katherine obeyed. Her chest rose with every anticipating breath, her eyes closing as she waited for what seemed like ages. Her bed creaked as she felt Lucius's weight next to her. Suddenly her hands were being yanked above her and she let out a small squeal as silk binds tickled against her wrists. He was tying her hands with a soft ribbon, and when she fluttered her eyes open he was braced on his forearms above her, fully unclothed as well.

She couldn't help but stare up in pure admiration. Despite his age, he was still, in her mind at least, the most beautiful man she had ever seen. The way his hair fell perfectly around his face perfectly framing his jagged, stubbled jaw, his grey eyes that were the gentlest looking part of him, everything made her heart race. She let her eyes shut again, soon feeling his lips against hers. For a moment she pulled against her restraints wanting nothing more than to lace her fingers through his platinum locks.

Their lips moved together in their own familiar rhythm, Lucius tracing his hand against her skin until his hand reached the area between her thighs. She instinctively spread open her legs, bending one slightly to allow for better access. Already aroused at his mere touch, he glided his two forefingers against her folds before inserting them inside of her. She moaned against his lips again as he began moving his fingers in and out of her.

"You're already so wet for me, my dove. Just as you always are," he cooed into her ear, Katherine straining still against the binds around her wrist. She just wanted to touch him, press her hands against his chest and feel every inch of him. But she was helplessly pinned beneath him, completely at his mercy. His fingers curled inside of her, rubbing against the spot that never failed to make her cheeks burn and her face turn a bright shade of red.

"I do wonder how many times I can bring you to the brink of pleasure without having you dissolve into a trembling mess beneath me," he hummed, beginning to kiss at her neck as he slid his fingers out of her, leaving her desperate for more stimulation. She knew she was in for a fucking of a lifetime, something he never failed to give her. His mouth trailed along the same path his hand had previously taken, sloppy kisses being pressed on the skin of her inner thighs before his mouth reached her core.

And then he was ravishing her, his tongue lapping at her folds. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she tried to resist allowing a moan to slip out of her mouth. His tongue flicked against her arousal in quick, broad strokes before he wrapped his mouth around her swollen clit. Her toes curled as she focused on fully feeling the pleasure he was giving her. She tried to grip on to something with her restrained hands as she opened her legs wider, a wanton moan finally escaping her lips.

"Lucius, I-right there..."

Hearing her whines only caused him to tongue-fuck her harder, his lips continuing to suck on her sensitive nub. Her back arched against the soft bed as she stifled another meek moan. It was new, seeing him so eager to focus on her own pleasure. She knew it was because he was jealous, desperate to prove to her he was better than her other suitor. His stubble grazed against her as he held her legs open wide, drool pooling on his chin as he continued rapidly moving his pointed tongue, switching between giving attention to her folds and her clit.

Her legs twitched, her toes curled, and she felt that familiar build-up of pleasure. He was a mastermind, a skilled lover who knew what she adored, what sent her over the edge, and what would cause her to scream his name. As he twirled his tongue around her clit in one final motion, her legs gave out as she was pushed over the edge letting out a loud whimper. Lucius pulled his head up from between her legs, using his wrist to wipe the mixture of drool and her own arousal off of his chin.

"You always taste so sweet, dove," he taunted, hovering over her again as she stared up at him. He roughly grabbed her legs to wrap around his waist, teasing her still dripping entrance with the tip of his cock.  
"Now beg for my cock," he demanded as Katherine tried to use the weight of her legs to pull him closer to her, letting out a small whimper. His hand immediately wrapped around her neck, his rings pressing into her skin as he squeezed ever so slightly.

"Do not be such a pathetic, whining brat. I said to beg for it," Lucius growled, letting the head of his length slide into her ever so slightly. She let out a small cry as her arms stretched as far as they could go. Begging was something she hadn't reduced herself to in a long while. It was all a game in his mind.  
"Please, Luci, darling..." she pleaded, shuddering underneath him. A smug grin appeared on his face as he pushed himself in slightly more, her walls clenching around the part of his shaft that was inside of her. She wanted, no, she needed all of him, and she knew he was going to make her grovel for every last bit.

"What was that? Use your words, say it louder so I can hear all of your pathetic cries," he purred, his grip on her neck tightening as she tried to roll her hips to sink down on his cock more.  
"Lucius, please fuck me!" she cried, gasping as she felt him bury his length fully inside of her. His calloused hand stayed wrapped around her neck as she adjusted to his large size, Lucius taking no time to let her relax before he rutted into her.

His movements became erratic as he thrust ruthlessly, Katherine letting out a weak cry underneath him. He was possessive, refusing to have any mercy on her.  
"Tell me who you belong to," he hissed, snapping his hips roughly causing her to whimper.  
"You, Lucius."  
"That is right, my dove. You are mine, only mine, and you will never be anyone else's. I know you are addicted to me, I surely have to be the best lover you have ever had in your pathetic life," growled Lucius, keeping a merciless rhythm. Her walls clenched around him as she pushed to meet his languid movements, her own arousal pooling beneath her at his words.

He owned every inch of her. A drug, that's what he was. Something Katherine couldn't imagine a life without. The way he touched her, traced his fingers so lovingly against every imperfection, every stretch mark, every insecurity on her body like she was Aphrodite herself. He was right, he was the best lover she had ever had. No one could come close to comparing to him, Lucius Malfoy, the possessive yet caring man of her innermost dreams.

His strokes became more tender as she felt her second orgasm of the night fall upon her. Her heart raced as she twitched underneath him. But he had not reached his own release of pleasure yet, and he certainly was not going to stop until he did. The stimulation was too much as he fucked her through her climax, causing her to whimper and whine. His thrusts slowed for a short moment before he pulled his cock out fully only to slam into her again with one quick thrust. Her vision blurred as his grip on her neck loosened, the rocking of his hips becoming more and more desperate.

"You can take it, I know you can," Lucius cooed into her ear, Katherine tightening the grip her legs had around his waist to push his length farther into her. It felt so good, the way he was fucking her into oblivion just to prove his worth and possession to her. She was soaking, the only noises in the room being the obscene sound of skin against skin and their shared breathless moans.

It took one particularly rough thrust for Katherine to feel the pleasurable burning between her legs as she convulsed under him. Her third release washed over her, Lucius's cock finally twitching as he spilled inside of her with a loud growl. His length stayed inside of her for a moment as they both attempted to catch their breath.  
"Katherine, I truly do not say this as much as I should, but I love you," he whispered, pressing a kiss against her forehead before slowly slipping out of her dripping entrance. She let out a sigh of relief as the ribbon slid off her hands.

After getting themselves cleaned up, she laid curled up in his arms, the soft covers of her bed thrown on top of them. He was to sleep with her that night like he usually did when he and Narcissa were fighting. His finger was twirling a strand of her hair as they stayed in each other's company.

"Please do not marry Victor."

Katherine glanced up, a look of worry on her face. "Lucius, darling, we discussed this. I wasn't proposed to, he was just making a statement. I'm yours, there is nothing to worry about alright?" she reassured. Lucius looked upset like he was holding something back.

"You know I have...concerns. And now Narcissa and I are not speaking, and I fear separation. The reason I mention this and the reason I keep asking about last night's fauxposal is that, in the case that my marriage dissolves for whatever nonsensical reason, I would want to marry you."

'I would want to marry you'

Those words were not what she was expecting. Marriage and a true relationship were the things she had always believed that she could never have with Lucius. Not that she wanted marriage, or a family, or anything out of what their current relationship status (whatever that was) entailed. Still, the promotion from mistress to missus was tempting, though the expense of Narcissa losing everything was certainly a downside.

"If it comes to that, Lucius, I will."


	31. Born To Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING for this chapter due to dark themes of physical and psychological torture/use of the cruciatus and imperious curses. Please do not read this chapter if you are not comfortable.

Malfoy Manor kept an incredible amount of secrets.

That was made clear to Katherine as the following months passed. War was coming, that was for certain, and the home transitioned back into the main hub for all of Voldemort's followers. It terrified her. She could no longer roam freely around the large mansion without encountering one of the less-than-friendly Death Eaters, who would taunt and terrorize her when Lucius wasn't around. Bellatrix was the worst of them all, of course, and it made Katherine wish she would have escaped that night when Lucius kicked her out so she would no longer have to deal with Narcissa's evil sister. Not even the loud, vicious barking of Achilles could scare her away.

Christmas came soon enough, though the holidays weren't joyous occasions anymore. In fact, she was almost certain that Lucius had forgotten it was even a holiday. But on the bleak, snowy morning she woke up to a few wrapped boxes tied with a ribbon sitting on her vanity. As their relationship matured and the state of the world outside became more and more horrific, Lucius hadn't showered her with gifts and money in ages. How could he when his life was falling apart? Her hand reached out to grab one of the boxes, slowly unraveling the ribbon.

It was an oval-shaped locket made of heavy gold. Her thumb pressed the charm open which revealed a small moving photo of Lucius on one side. On the other half was a photo of the two of them together at the Quidditch World Cup, the first photograph they had ever taken together. Her finger ran over the picture as she stared at the looping image of her and Lucius laughing and smiling together. He looked so young, so unstressed, and so carefree. If only that Lucius knew what was going to happen to him. Her own face was almost unrecognizable as well, her flowing red hair framing her face as she gently batted Lucius on the arm.

She pressed the locket closed with a small sigh, setting it down on the vanity next to her as she reached for the next box. It was the smallest one, and as she opened it she found a diamond peacock statue much like the emerald dove he had bought for her last Christmas. Peacocks were a Malfoy emblem, she had even sworn she had seen one or two of the beautiful birds on the manor grounds. A peacock and a dove, Lucius and Katherine. There was a note inside the box like the ones he used to leave her.

"Katherine,

Happy Christmas, my love. I thought your little dove statue could use a friend.

With adoration,

Lucius"

Slowly setting the peacock next to the emerald dove that sat on her bedside table, she slid the paper underneath the other various papers that sat on her vanity. Lucius had never given any sort of thought to his presents before, it was always diamonds or jewelry, generic things. But this was a thoughtful present, something that was symbolic of their relationship. Smiling to herself, she took one last look at the shimmering peacock before making her way out of her room. Certainly, there was Christmas brunch awaiting, and she wanted to thank Lucius as soon as possible.

As she headed down the hallway and towards the staircase she heard loud yells and maniacal laughs coming from the first floor. For a moment she contemplated heading back towards her room as there was obviously something going on. Curiosity eventually won, however, and soon she was carefully creeping downstairs, stepping as lightly as she could to avoid being caught. As she reached the landing before the second set of steps, she craned her head to see what was happening below her.

There were wizards everywhere, dirty and rugged-looking men and women who wore leather outfits and carried what seemed like animal traps and other magical objects. Snatchers, she knew their name from reading the anti-Muggleborn propaganda that had been circulating. They hunted wizards. The thought of capturing people who were, although Muggleborn, wizards, and a part of the same community disgusted her. The Snatchers seemed to be pulling a few capturees towards the basement of the manor, which led to a dungeon. Katherine had never been near the Malfoy dungeons (she was never allowed to), but she knew they were terribly gloomy and damp. The Snatchers were laughing, proud of their work and success. Standing by the Snatchers stood Lucius, who was pointing them towards the dungeons. Not the Christmas morning she was expecting.

"Katherine, go back upstairs."

She turned her head to see Narcissa behind her, a terrified expression on her face. Her hand rested on Katherine's shoulder as they stared at the wild scene below them.

"Narcissa, what's going on? They've never come here, we've-I mean Lucius has never kept prisoners on the property," she questioned, straining her head to try to get a better view of who exactly the Snatchers were bringing in. Suddenly, she saw a girl with wavy platinum hair clinging to an older man.  
"Luna..." she mumbled as she watched the Snatchers lead them out of her sight.

"Come on, dear, let's go upstairs. I'm sure this has nothing to do with us," whispered Narcissa. As she followed the woman upstairs, Katherine made a mental note to explore the dungeons as soon as she got the chance. She had to do something.

-

Her chance didn't come until spring. It was the Snatchers again, and this time they had brought forth a boy who they claimed to be Harry Potter himself along with his friends. She stood next to Narcissa, wanting nothing more than to hide from the chaos she knew would come. Draco stood in front of Harry, Bellatrix begging for him to confirm it was in fact The Boy Who Lived.

"Is it him?" Bellatrix asked gleefully as Lucius held Draco's shoulder. Draco was eyeing the boy in front of him who had a swollen face and no recognizable traits of Harry besides a faint forehead scar.  
"Draco, if we are the ones who hand over Harry...everything will go back to normal. We will be back in the good graces of the Dark Lord," hummed Lucius. Katherine held her breath awaiting an answer. She heard Draco say he couldn't be sure much to the dismay of Lucius and the Snatchers.

Katherine could tell Lucius was getting angrier by the moment. This was his chance for redemption, she knew that. But she found it hard to justify his desire to turn a poor boy over to a mass-murderer.  
"Katherine, get over here please. Take a look as well," demanded Lucius. She obeyed, meeting him at Draco's side.  
"Lucius, I've seen Potter maybe once. I can't be sure either."  
As they fought over identifying the boy, Katherine realized she could easily sneak away towards the dungeons. She would only have one chance to possibly free the prisoners being kept in the house, and she had to act fast.

Luckily, Bellatrix had ordered that the two boys of the group be sent to the dungeons, Katherine volunteering to take them down (unfortunately Wormtail had to tag along as well.) She felt awful for the poor Muggleborn who Bellatrix had kept in her sight as she slowly led Harry and Ron into the stone caverns.  
"I can handle this from here, Wormtail," she ordered as they reached the stairs that led into the dreary cage. Wormtail reluctantly agreed to retreat as Katherine led the two boys down the stairs.

"You're Elowen's sister, aren't you?" Ron asked. She nodded in response, reaching the metal bars on the cell.  
"Don't worry, I'm here to help you. Just stay here for a moment, okay? I'll try to help you escape as soon as I can," she told them, opening the gates before stepping inside with the two boys. Inside the cell sat Luna, along with the elderly man, a house-elf, and a goblin.

"Katherine!" yelled Luna as she scrambled to her feet, running up to her. Katherine hugged Luna as tightly as she could.  
"I'm so sorry I didn't find you earlier. Lucius had this place on lockdown," she explained before turning to the others. The elderly man approached her second, and it took her only a few moments to realize it was the man who sold her the first wand she had ever gotten.

"Mr. Ollivander, how nice to see you again, despite the circumstances," laughed Katherine. It was a weird bunch, that was certain. But she was going to stick to her word and help them as much as she could. Nothing Lucius was a part of was justifiable, and she had no obligation to help Voldemort.

"So, is there a plan?" Ron asked, crossing his arms as he stared at her. "I mean, she's sleeping with Lucius for Merlin's sake, how can we trust her?"  
Katherine sighed before extending her forearm, lifting up her dress sleeve to reveal a perfectly bare bit of skin. "No Dark Mark. Also, I'm assuming no one told you that I've been helping-or at least trying to help-the Order this entire time? I have no loyalty to He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I want this war to end as much as you do."

Luna nodded. "I trust her."  
"Good. Now, I'm going to let you out. Do what you need to do, and get out of here safely. I can handle Lucius," Katherine said, winking as she opened the doors to allow the prisoners to escape. Ron was the last one to step out and before Katherine knew what was coming she was being shoved into the dungeon, the gate slamming shut.

"I don't trust you one bit. If you truly were against Voldemort, why are you still with Lucius? You're a snake, that's what you are," Ron hissed as he locked the steel gates. Katherine grabbed on to them tightly, shaking them as she watched the group walk up the steps. She cursed to herself before trying to think of any way she could escape.

It only took her a few moments before she was able to get the gate unlocked. She rushed out and ran up the staircase, desperate to find Lucius. When she finally entered the foyer again, it was an even more chaotic scene than she had expected. Bellatrix had the poor girl she had taken earlier pinned underneath her, the girl whimpering and whining as blood trickled out of her arm. There was fighting amongst the freed group and the rest of the Death Eaters, which made it difficult for her to spot who she was looking for.

She finally saw Lucius flying in the air before his limp body fell on the floor. "Lucius!" she yelled, running over to him as quickly as she could, dodging spell after spell before she finally kneeled by his side.  
"Katherine, you fool! You had one job," groaned Lucius as he struggled to sit up. Katherine shushed him as she helped him to his feet, her hands pressing against his shoulders.  
"Lucius this is madness, you know it is. If you just stop we can all be alive and okay, you know this needs to end-"

He pushed her off of him and into the wall, striding over to the center of the room. Everyone who had been fighting was restrained and calm. She watched him pull up his suit sleeve to reveal his pulsing, jet-black Dark Mark. He was calling Voldemort to come and collect Harry. She wasn't surprised, she knew how badly he wanted to be the Dark Lord's favorite again. Part of her didn't blame him.

A loud crash caused the room to erupt into chaos again. The glistening chandelier had crashed onto the ground and on top of several now sprawled out Death Eaters. Lucius ran over to grab Katherine, pulling her away from the newly started dueling.  
"I am sorry that I have to do this. But I cannot have you meddling with this anymore," Lucius mumbled, and he tapped his wand against her forehead causing her to fall to the floor in a fabricated sleep.

-

When she finally woke up, Voldemort had arrived. It was clear to her that the Death Eaters had failed, and the Dark Lord was terribly angry. Bodies of dead and injured Death Eaters were scattered, their blood staining the white tile flooring.  
"Again, Lucius, you failed me. What a pity," Voldemort tutted before his wand shot out a bright green flash that caused one of the surrounding men to drop dead on the floor. Lucius winced as he stepped protectively in front of Draco and Narcissa, only spotting Katherine when she scrambled to her feet.

"My lord, I did not mean for them to escape. It was-it was Wormtail who failed to keep the prisoners at bay. He, unfortunately, is no longer alive to defend himself," whispered Lucius, Narcissa immediately taking Draco up the steps and away from the dangerous outburst. "You still failed, Lucius. You have failed me so many times, you are the lowest of the low. What happened? You used to be such a ruthless devoted follower of mine,"  
Voldemort flared his nostrils in rage as he fired two more killing curses at the remaining men in the room. It was now just Katherine and Lucius. Voldemort flipped his head around, finally pointing his wand at Katherine.

"You...the source of my ever-loyal Lucius growing soft. I believe you thought you could change him, bring him into the light you so desperately want to believe you still are a part of. What a tragedy, he'll never become disloyal. You, however, are just a useless servant to me, groveling at Lucius's feet for his approval," he started, slowly making his way towards Katherine. She backed away quickly, not even bothering to reach for her wand to defend herself. It would be stupid for her to even try. Lucius stood close to her, but his lips were sealed shut, not bothering to argue with the Dark Lord.

"Oh Lucius, it is such a shame that you let her crawl her way into your heart like the pathetic rat she is. In fact, if I were you I would blame her for all your shortcomings. Admit it, she is just a distraction," Voldemort laughed, cornering Katherine as Lucius continued his silence. His steel eyes were glued to Katherine. She thought he was a coward, not even bothering to defend her. Fear was all she felt at that moment and she had no words to speak. Voldemort grabbed her arm roughly, tugging her against him as she struggled. The sharp tip of his wand stabbed her cheek as she let out a small gasp.

"Katherine, how does it feel to know you are the reason I can no longer call Lucius my most trusted friend? You are terribly mistaken to believe that love can change even the coldest of men. Some of the most despicable humans on this earth felt such strong love, but they were still evil in the end. Fortunately, love is something I have never felt and never will feel, so I will have no remorse and no regrets doing this." Katherine's eyes widened as she was shoved onto the floor on her knees, Voldemort gripping her hair to pull her head back.

"Please...please don't kill me, I didn't do anything! You're the one who made me join your horrific cause, remember?" Katherine yelped. Voldemort snorted behind her, motioning for Lucius to come closer. He reluctantly took a step forward, staring at Katherine's pained and pleading expression. Reduced to a whimpering mess that was so unlike her, all she could do was hope that she would make it out alive.

"Kill you? No, that is much too easy. I think the two little lovebirds need to be taught an important lesson on loyalty. Take your wand out, Lucius, do not be shy now." Lucius reached into his pocket removing his wand, the one that had been using ever since Voldemort had taken his previous one. "Good, now raise it at her, make her fear you." Reluctantly he pointed his wand at Katherine, his hand shaking as he saw her squirm in Voldemort's grip. Her heart sunk into her chest as a terrified expression appeared on Lucius's face.

"Lucius, please don't," pleaded Katherine as she struggled to get out of her position on the floor. Lucius gave a blank stare in response, holding his shaking wand in his hand as Voldemort continued to laugh. Torture, he was inflicting torture on them because Lucius had opened his heart up to her. It was sickening.

"Tell her how much you love her. Go on, spill all your little feelings you have," he taunted, tightening his grip in Katherine's hair causing another painful yelp to come out of her mouth. Lucius stayed silent for a moment before opening his mouth to speak.  
"Katherine, I-" he stuttered as his arm slowly lowered. He was at a loss for words, anticipating what was coming next. Katherine tried to hold back tears as she tried to come to terms with what was going on. Voldemort was cruel and angry at his failed plan, and she knew that there was a chance one if not both of them would not come out of his wrath alive.  
"Speak up, Lucius. She needs to hear you," coaxed Voldemort.

"I-I know I do not say it to you often, and sometimes I do not cherish you and your caring spirit enough, but the only word that can describe what I feel for you is love. The light of my life, how you keep me going despite my days being spent in anguish. I cannot imagine a life without you...My lord, please don't make me hurt her," choked Lucius, his wand still lowering towards the floor. Voldemort laughed as he let go of her hair, Katherine's palms bracing her fall against the cold tiled floors.

"Love is a weakness, my friend. And it cannot overthrow dark power. You will soon realize that" Voldemort taunted, pointing his wand directly at Lucius. Lucius raised his wand again defensively, but it was too late. Voldemort had casted his spell. But it was not the killing curse incantation that came out of his mouth.

"Imperio."

Lucius's eyes glossed over as he turned towards Katherine, Voldemort grinning as he controlled Lucius like he was nothing more than a puppet. She screamed, scrambling to get up off the floor before she was pushed back down by the dark wizard behind her.  
"Lucius, please, snap out of it! I know you can, I've heard the strongest wizards can overpower the curse...please..." she cried. Crying was no help, of course, but it wasn't like she would be able to do much else. It was no use, Lucius was lost and completely under Voldemort's control.  
"Lucius, make her be quiet. Her pathetic cries make my head ache," Voldemort sneered, waving his wand. Lucius opened his mouth to speak, but Katherine didn't even have time to register what incantation he was uttering.

She knew what curse it was as soon as it hit her. Her entire body filled with torment as she collapsed onto the floor, the foyer filled with her agonizing screams. Torture was an understatement. She had never in her life felt a pain so severe and so malicious. It was as if needle-like knives were stabbing into every inch of her body, so painful she couldn't even think. Her nails scratched on the floor below her, desperately trying to find some sort of release from the discomfort. Writhing around on the floor, her vision blurred and she couldn't recognize any of her surroundings. It seemed to go on forever, a never-ending cycle of demented affliction she could not escape. All she wanted was to black out, to feel nothing, to die to escape the agony she was in.

Then it stopped.

Her body stopped flailing and her skin felt burning hot against the cold floor. Her head fell back against the tile with a soft smack as she struggled to regain breathing and composure. Fluttering in and out of consciousness, she tried to reach for anything around her to hold on to let her know she had survived. She felt a hand against her forehead, her eyes opening to see a weeping Lucius by her side. He held his shaking hands over her as he frantically tried to get her awake.

"What have I done...please...what have I done to you..."

"Lucius..." she mumbled, immediately getting swept up to be held in his arms as he pulled her into his chest. Her body trembled as it tried to recover from the torture it had endured. She could feel his chest rising and falling with every choked cry he let out as he sat on the floor holding her desperately in his arms. Heartbroken cries wrecked his body as he seemed to cling on to her with every bit of strength he had.  
"I am sorry, I am so sorry my dove, I did not want to, believe me...I thought he was going to make me kill you," he sobbed, rocking her in his arms. Tears were pouring down his face, landing against her skin as he buried his face into her chest. At that moment she registered what had happened. Voldemort had used him as a weapon against her in order to break the both of them. Love was a weakness, that's what Voldemort had said. And in his eyes, Lucius was weak for loving her.

"I love you, please be alright, Katherine...I did not mean to hurt you, I love you..."

And as they both laid on the floor of the manor surrounded by all of Voldemort's wrathful destruction, she realized she didn't have the words to say anything back.


End file.
